Homeowners and small business owners in England and Wales can receive grants of up to £7,500 towards the cost of a boiler replacement system, under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, making it one of the most generous schemes in Europe.
Since the scheme started in 2022, there have been 36,741 applications and the scheme has now paid out close to £127 million in vouchers to customers.
The figures follow changes to the scheme criteria, which will make heat pumps cheaper and easier to install.
According to gov.uk, families will no longer have to install cavity wall or loft insulation to use the scheme, giving them greater choice on how they improve their home and potentially reducing the costs associated with installing a heat pump on a semi-detached property by approximately £2,500.
The government said by doing this, households will be able to spread out the costs of changes at a pace that works for them, but warns properties should still be well-insulated to keep costs down.
Homeowners can also get support to improve their energy efficiency through the Great British Insulation Scheme and Energy Company Obligation (ECO), which are set to help up to 700,000 families install home improvements, such as insulation by March 2026.
Charlotte Lee, CEO of the Heat Pump Association, commented: “It’s great to see the sustained increase and interest in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme since the grant uplift in October 2023, alongside the publication of a government guide for potential heat pump owners, which will help to increase the awareness of heat pumps, from a trusted source.
“Heat pumps provide a very efficient, effective solution to decarbonising home heating and enhance the UK’s energy security, and it is wonderful to see interest and awareness from consumers increasing.”
The figures come alongside the government’s Welcome Home to Energy Efficiency campaign, which continues to promote the scheme and highlight wider efficiency measures that can help lower energy bills.
The government has also published a guide for potential heat pump owners, where industry experts answer frequently asked questions on heat pumps and their installation.
Written by
Tamara BirchSenior Writer
Tamara is a London-based journalist and has written about environmental topics for more than four years. This includes advising small business owners on cost-effective ways, like solar panels and energy-efficient products, to help them become more sustainable.
She has used her journalist and research skills to become highly knowledgeable on sustainable initiatives, issues, and solutions to help consumers do their bit for the environment - all while reducing monthly costs.
In addition to adopting sustainable practices in her personal life, Tamara has worked in the retail B2B space to help independent retailers think about their environmental choices and how they can help improve their business. She now uses this knowledge to help consumers do the same.
Her passion for sustainability and eco-friendly solutions stems from a long obsession with nature and animals and ensuring they feel looked after. In her free time, Tamara enjoys reading fantasy novels, visiting the gym, and going on long walks in new areas.
You can get in touch with Tamara via email at tamara.birch@mvfglobal.com.
Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.
In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.
He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.
Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.
As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals.
His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.
Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history and ghost stories. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.
