Money desk · chart page
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme air-to-air heat pump grant
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme air-to-air heat pump grant is £2,500, in law since 28 April 2026, yet by September 2026 no voucher had been issued.
By the Cooler Indoors desk · figures checked · 3 charts · sources · methods
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme now offers £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump in England and Wales. The change took effect on 28 April 2026, but the grant has to be claimed by an MCS certified installer, and MCS said in September 2026 that it could not yet certify anyone for air-to-air work.
Source: GOV.UK, Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme: what you can get · checked 29 October 2026
How we read this Grant amounts as listed on 29 October 2026. The £1,500 off-gas top-up applies to air-to-water and ground source only, never to air-to-air. One grant per property.
Show the numbers
| Label | £ | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Air-to-water, oil or LPG home | £9,000 | Until 31 March 2027 |
| Air-to-water heat pump | £7,500 | |
| Ground source heat pump | £7,500 | |
| Biomass boiler | £5,000 | |
| Air-to-air heat pump | £2,500 | Homes only |
What does the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pay for an air-to-air heat pump?
It pays a flat £2,500, against £7,500 for an air-to-water or ground source system. GOV.UK's grant list, rechecked on 29 October 2026, still reads "£2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump".
The amount comes from SI 2026/390, which came into force on 28 April 2026. It also says an air-to-air unit is not eligible for a non-residential building, and it moved the scheme's end date from 2028 to 2030.
Can you actually claim the £2,500 air-to-air grant yet?
Probably not today. BUS is run through the installer, and the installer must be MCS certified. On 8 September 2026 MCS explained that installers can apply for air-to-air certification only after their certification bodies are accredited by UKAS.
Source: DESNZ, Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics, September 2026 (Table 1.1) · checked 29 October 2026
How we read this Counts from the official BUS statistics published 29 October 2026, England and Wales. An application is not a payment; a voucher is what the installer redeems.
Show the numbers
| Label | applications | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Air-to-air: applications | 157 | |
| Air-to-air: vouchers issued | 0 | None yet |
The official statistics bear this out. Up to the end of September 2026 there were 157 applications naming an air-to-air system and none had been turned into a voucher. The same table shows 157,573 applications for air-to-water, by comparison. Before signing anything, ask the installer to show their MCS air-to-air certificate and check Ofgem's BUS page for updates.
Who qualifies for the air-to-air grant?
You must own the home and be replacing an existing heating system. The eligibility page gives oil, gas, LPG and electric heating as examples, so a house on storage heaters can count. Most new builds and social housing are excluded.
| Condition | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Property type | Homes only; not non-residential buildings | SI 2026/390 |
| Existing heating | Oil, gas, LPG or electric being replaced | GOV.UK eligibility |
| Installer | MCS certified (none yet for air-to-air) | Ofgem; MCS |
| Heating coverage | Must meet 100% of the home's heating need | MCS, 8 Sept 2026 |
| Timescale | Installed and commissioned within 120 days of applying | GOV.UK eligibility |
| EPC | No longer a standing requirement from 28 April 2026 | Ofgem installer guidance V5 |
| Size cap | 45 kWth for a single system | GOV.UK what you can get |
Why must an air-to-air system heat the whole home?
MCS says systems delivered under its scheme must be designed to meet 100% of the property's heating requirement. That rules out a single bedroom unit added for summer cooling, with the gas boiler kept for winter.
In practice that points to a system designed for every heated room, not a single head. The DESNZ statistics define an air-to-air heat pump as heating air for space heating, so hot water needs its own answer. Our air-to-air versus air-to-water comparison covers that trade-off, and our installation cost figures show what BUS data says about air-to-water prices.
Taking out a gas boiler is gas work, which only a Gas Safe registered engineer may do. If you ever smell gas or a carbon monoxide alarm goes off, get everyone out of the house first. Leave light switches, phones and all electrical items alone while inside, then from outside call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999, or 999 if anyone feels unwell.
What happens in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Neither offers an air-to-air grant. Home Energy Scotland gives up to £7,500 in grant plus an optional £7,500 interest-free loan for heat pumps, but states that air-to-air models are not eligible.
Source: Home Energy Scotland, grants and loans · checked 29 October 2026
How we read this Grant available for an air-to-air heat pump in each nation, checked 29 October 2026. Zero means no grant route, not a scheme paying nothing. NI status from GOV.UK and nidirect.
Show the numbers
| Label | £ | Note |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales (BUS) | £2,500 | |
| Scotland (Home Energy Scotland) | £0 | Not eligible |
| Northern Ireland | £0 | No scheme open |
In Northern Ireland, GOV.UK notes that the local boiler replacement scheme has closed, and BUS does not extend there. Installed heat pumps are zero-rated for VAT there too, as nidirect confirms; our page on VAT for heat pumps has the detail.
How does the voucher process work?
The installer does the paperwork, not you. Following GOV.UK's how-to-apply steps, you get quotes from MCS certified firms, agree one, and the installer applies on the Ofgem website. Ofgem then contacts you to confirm the installer is acting for you, and the grant is taken off what you pay, shown on the quote and invoice.
Questions this data raises
Can I get the air-to-air grant for a single room?
Not under MCS rules as they stand. The system has to be designed for the whole home's heating, so one wall unit for a bedroom would not qualify.
Can I claim both the £2,500 and the off-gas top-up?
No. The extra £1,500 for oil and LPG homes is for air-to-water and ground source systems only, and you get one grant per property.
Does a landlord qualify for the air-to-air grant?
GOV.UK says owners of a property rented out to tenants can apply, and air-to-air is limited to homes, so a let house can qualify. Social housing is excluded.
Do I need an EPC to apply for the air-to-air grant?
Not since 28 April 2026, when Ofgem's installer guidance dropped the standing EPC requirement. The installer can send other evidence instead.
How long does the installer have once the application is in?
GOV.UK says the heat pump must be installed and commissioned within 120 days of applying.
Sources for this page
- GOV.UK, Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme: what you can get gov.uk
- SI 2026/390 legislation.gov.uk
- MCS explained mcscertified.com
- DESNZ, Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics, September 2026 (Table 1.1) gov.uk
- Ofgem's BUS page ofgem.gov.uk
- The eligibility page gov.uk
- Home Energy Scotland homeenergyscotland.org
- GOV.UK notes gov.uk
All checked 29 October 2026. How we choose and read sources: Methods & sources.