What the scheme pays for
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme helps owners in England and Wales replace a fossil fuel or electric heating system with a low carbon one. In practice that means:
- An air source heat pump (air-to-water): £7,500.
- A ground or water source heat pump: £7,500.
- Either of those in a home with no mains gas connection replacing oil or LPG, for applications properly made by 31 March 2027: £9,000.
- An air-to-air heat pump in a home: £2,500.
- A biomass boiler in a rural home off the gas grid: £5,000.
Each needs the owner's agreement, an MCS certified installer to apply, and a system that is not a hybrid. The full rules are on who qualifies.
What it does not pay for
- A new gas combi or system boiler.
- A new oil or LPG boiler.
- A hybrid that keeps a boiler running alongside a heat pump.
- Boiler repairs or servicing.
Why the name misleads
The scheme takes its name from what it replaces: boilers burning gas, oil or LPG. Its purpose is to move homes off those fuels, so it funds the replacement, not a like-for-like swap. Search results and adverts that use "boiler grant" loosely add to the confusion, and offers of a boiler at no cost have usually referred to other schemes, many now closed. The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that adverts for government heating grants must make the eligibility criteria clear; if an offer does not tell you who qualifies and what you pay, be cautious.
If you want to replace a boiler
There are three honest routes. Replace it with another boiler, paying the full cost yourself. Replace it with a heat pump, with £7,500 off the price for most homes. Or, for lower-income households in England, ask your council about the Warm Homes: Local Grant, which is run locally, has its own eligibility rules based on income and the home's energy rating, and funds measures such as insulation and heat pumps through contractors the council chooses.
Which of these makes sense depends on the age of your boiler, the house and your budget. If the heat pump route interests you, the grant checker shows which rule fits your home, and how the grant is paid explains the steps.
If you came here from a "boiler grant" advert
Check three things before giving anyone your details. Does the offer say clearly who qualifies? Does it show what you would pay after any grant? And does it say who is behind it and how they are paid? This site, for example, is published by SEO-DONS LTD, answers questions by email and cannot apply for or approve any grant. Legitimate offers can answer all three plainly.
The three routes side by side
| Route | Help with the cost | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| New boiler | None from this scheme | Anyone; you pay in full |
| Heat pump | £7,500 for most homes; £9,000 for oil or LPG homes with no gas, applications by 31 March 2027 | Owners in England and Wales |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant | Set by the council scheme | Lower-income households in England, through the council |
Whichever route you lean towards, it is worth asking for a quote for each from installers who do both, so the comparison is made on the same house and the same day's prices, and so you can see exactly what the grant would and would not change.