£7,500
Air-to-water heat pumps
The standard grant for an eligible air source (air-to-water) heat pump.
BUS grant · Boiler Upgrade Scheme
BUS Grant: £7,500 Towards a Heat Pump
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, in plain English. Three quick checks to see if you qualify.
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- £7,500 Off an eligible air source or ground source heat pump
- Up to £9,000 Eligible off-gas homes replacing oil or LPG, until 31 March 2027
- England and Wales Where the BUS grant applies
- None Income, benefits or boiler-age test
In short
What the BUS grant is
BUS is short for Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a government scheme administered by Ofgem, providing upfront grants towards low-carbon heating in England and Wales.
- Not buses: the name confuses people, and some search results are about bus services. This is the heat pump grant.
- Not a boiler grant either: it does not pay for a new gas boiler. It pays for a heat pump that replaces one.
- Where: homes and some business premises in England and Wales.
- Who: property owners, including landlords. Renting? The owner applies, with your agreement.
- How: your MCS-certified installer applies, and the grant comes off the quote. Never cash to you.
Read the full explanation Show less
The scheme pays a fixed amount towards replacing fossil fuel or electric heating with a heat pump. It was extended to 2030, there is no closing date for applications, and the rules were simplified in 2024 and 2026: the insulation condition went in May 2024 and the EPC requirement on 28 April 2026.
Our Boiler Upgrade Scheme page explains every rule in full. This page is the short version, with the check at the top.
BUS grant values 2026
How much the BUS grant is worth
One grant per property. Each figure is shown with the condition it depends on, and the value that applies is the one in force when your installer applies.
£7,500
Ground source heat pumps
The standard grant for an eligible ground source heat pump installation.
£2,500
Air-to-air heat pumps
Residential properties only. Air-to-air systems are not eligible in non-residential buildings.
£5,000
Biomass boilers
Available in limited circumstances only, with additional location and air-quality requirements.
£9,000
Air-to-water or ground source heat pumps in eligible off-gas-grid properties
For properties off the mains gas grid that are replacing oil or LPG heating. Time-limited.
Available until 31 March 2027
Read more about Air-to-water or ground source heat pumps in eligible off-gas-grid properties
Grant availability and eligibility are subject to the current scheme rules. The value that applies to a particular property is confirmed by an MCS-certified installer when they make the application — these figures are what the scheme currently offers, not a quotation. The £9,000 value is £1,500 above the standard £7,500 and applies only to qualifying off-gas-grid properties replacing oil or LPG heating.
Installed heat pumps in homes currently have 0% VAT, until 31 March 2027. That is already in the installer’s price. The conditions behind the enhanced off-gas value are on our £9,000 off-gas heat pump grant page.
BUS grant eligibility
Who qualifies for the BUS grant
Three checks decide most cases. The list of things the scheme does not ask about is longer than the list it does.
The scheme asks
- The property is in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes.
- You own it. Homeowners, landlords, second-home owners and owners of some business premises. Not social housing.
- It is heated by gas, oil, LPG or electric heating. And that heating is fully replaced by an eligible heat pump. Not an existing heat pump.
- The installer is MCS-certified. Only they can apply, and only their work can be funded.
- No public money has already paid for low-carbon heating here. Checked at application.
The scheme does not ask
- Whether you are on benefits, or what you earn. There is no income test. Our guide to the heat pump grant without benefits explains.
- How old the boiler is, or whether it works. A working condensing combi qualifies.
- For a valid EPC. A valid EPC is no longer a standing eligibility requirement for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. EPC information is still used as evidence. Where the property has a valid EPC, its certificate number is included in the application. Where it does not, the installer provides alternative evidence instead.
- Whether you have insulated first. That condition was removed in May 2024. Insulation is still worth doing.
- Your age, or whether you work. The application is about the property, not the household.
The full criteria, exclusions and the self-build and new-build detail are on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme eligibility page. Eligibility is confirmed only when an MCS-certified installer applies.
How it works
How you get the BUS grant
The scheme is installer-led. The only stage you drive is the first one.
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Step 1: Three quick checks
Where the property is, whether you own it, and what heats it now. That is the form above.
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Step 2: Survey and quote
An MCS-certified installer measures the home and quotes with the grant already deducted.
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Step 3: Installer applies
They apply to Ofgem for you. Ofgem emails you, and you confirm within 14 days.
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Step 4: Grant comes off the bill
The voucher is paid to the installer. Your invoice shows the same deduction as the quote.
Our step-by-step guide to getting an air source heat pump through the scheme covers each stage, including what the survey checks, what the quote must show and the time limits the scheme sets.
Limits
What the BUS grant does not cover
Each of these is a complete sentence on purpose, because they are the points summaries most often drop.
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A new gas boiler
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not fund a conventional replacement gas boiler.
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A hybrid system
A gas boiler kept alongside the heat pump rules the installation out. The old system must be fully replaced.
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Solar panels or a battery
Only heat pumps and, in limited cases, biomass boilers. Solar and batteries are paid for separately.
-
Scotland or Northern Ireland
The scheme covers England and Wales. Both nations have their own support.
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Social housing
Including shared ownership. Private landlords can apply; a tenant cannot.
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A cash payment to you
The grant is paid to the installer and deducted from your invoice. Nobody should charge a fee to reserve it.
Compared
The BUS grant beside the other home energy schemes
Four schemes, two questions: is there a benefits test, and what does it pay for?
| Scheme | Where | Benefits or income test? | What it funds | Who applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUS grant (Boiler Upgrade Scheme) | England and Wales | None | £7,500 towards a heat pump; up to £9,000 off-gas | Your MCS-certified installer |
| ECO4 | England, Wales and Scotland | Yes: qualifying benefits, or council Flex | Insulation, boiler upgrades and some heating, until 31 December 2026 | An energy supplier’s installer |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant | England | Yes: benefits, income of £36,000 or less, or postcode | Insulation, solar and low-carbon heating | Your council, after a GOV.UK check |
| Home Energy Scotland grant and loan | Scotland | None for the heat pump grant | £7,500 grant plus an optional loan | You, through Home Energy Scotland |
Our home energy grants page compares every scheme in full, and the all-scheme checker works out which one fits your home.
Guides
BUS grant questions, answered properly
Each guide is checked against the GOV.UK and Ofgem rules, with its sources listed.
Air source heat pump through the BUS grant, step by step
From finding an installer to the grant coming off your invoice, with every time limit the scheme sets.
BUS grant myths: nine things people get wrong
Benefits, boiler age, EPCs, insulation, tenants, cash payments and the £9,000 value, each corrected.
Heat pump grant without benefits
There is no income test. Which schemes do have one, and what to do if you are on benefits.
Does my boiler have to be old or broken?
No age or condition test. Why a working condensing boiler qualifies, and why that is an advantage.
BUS grant for private tenants
A rented home qualifies on the same terms. How to ask your landlord and what to agree in writing.
£9,000 off-gas heat pump grant
The enhanced value for oil and LPG homes off the gas grid: every condition, and the capped-meter trap.
What is the BUS grant?
BUS stands for Boiler Upgrade Scheme. It is a government grant, administered by Ofgem, that takes £7,500 off the cost of an eligible air source or ground source heat pump in England and Wales, £2,500 off an air-to-air heat pump, and up to £9,000 for eligible off-gas homes replacing oil or LPG heating. It has nothing to do with buses.
How much is the BUS grant in 2026?
£7,500 for an air source (air-to-water) or ground source heat pump, £2,500 for an air-to-air heat pump and £5,000 for a biomass boiler in limited cases. Homes off the mains gas grid replacing oil or LPG heating can get £9,000 instead of £7,500, for applications properly made by 31 March 2027.
Who is eligible for the BUS grant?
Owners of homes and some business premises in England and Wales, including landlords and second-home owners, who are replacing gas, oil, LPG or electric heating with an eligible heat pump fitted by an MCS-certified installer. There is no income or benefits test, no boiler age test and, since 28 April 2026, no EPC requirement. Social housing, most new builds and homes that already had public funding for low-carbon heating are excluded.
Do I need to be on benefits for the BUS grant?
No. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has no income test and does not ask about benefits. The schemes that do are ECO4 and the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
Does the BUS grant pay for a new gas boiler?
No. Despite the name, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not fund a conventional replacement gas boiler. It funds heat pumps and, in limited circumstances, biomass boilers. Keeping a gas boiler alongside a grant-funded heat pump is not allowed either.
How do I apply for the BUS grant?
You do not apply yourself. You choose an MCS-certified installer, agree a quote that shows the grant deducted, and the installer applies on the Ofgem website on your behalf. Ofgem emails you to confirm, you reply within 14 days, and the installer then has 3 months to install an air source heat pump and claim the voucher.
Is the BUS grant paid to me?
No. It is paid to the installer after the installation is commissioned, and it appears on your quote and invoice as a deduction. Anyone offering to pay the grant to you in cash, or asking for a fee to reserve it, is not describing this scheme.
Is the BUS grant available in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
No. It covers England and Wales. Scotland has the Home Energy Scotland grant and loan, which offers £7,500 towards a heat pump for owner-occupiers, and Northern Ireland has its own support. Our Scotland and Northern Ireland pages explain both.
When does the BUS grant end?
The scheme has been extended to 2030, with no closing date announced for applications. The enhanced £9,000 off-gas value is time-limited, to applications properly made by 31 March 2027. Grant values are set by the government and can change; the value in force when your installer applies is the one you get.
Check the BUS grant for your property
Three quick checks on the property, then our team calls you back. Free, independent and with no obligation.