This year's budget
A notice dated 1 April 2026 set the scheme's budget for April 2026 to March 2027 at £400 million. Ofgem's monthly update showed £143.6 million remaining at 30 September 2026. That remaining figure counts applications not yet decided and vouchers not yet redeemed as spoken for, so it can rise again when vouchers expire unused.
The budget is first come, first served within each year. When a year's money is committed, applications are affected until the next budget period. Busy months, like September 2026, bring that point closer; quiet months push it back. The monthly update is the place to check.
Every date that matters
| Date | What it means |
|---|---|
| 23 May 2022 | The scheme opened. |
| 28 April 2026 | No EPC needed; air-to-air added; scheme extended to 2030. |
| 21 July 2026 | The £9,000 rate opened for homes with no mains gas replacing oil or LPG. |
| 31 March 2027 | Last date to properly make a £9,000 application. |
| 31 December 2029 | Ofgem can issue no vouchers after this date. |
| 31 March 2030 | Latest a ground source voucher can run to. |
The clocks on your own application
Separate from the scheme's dates, every application has its own short deadlines. Once the installer applies, Ofgem emails the owner, who has 14 days to confirm. Once the voucher is issued, the installer has 3 months for air source and air-to-air, or 6 months for ground source, to install, commission and claim it. A retrospective application, made after fitting, must be properly made within 120 days of commissioning. The page on how the grant is paid explains each.
Reading deadlines honestly
Adverts for heat pumps often lean on deadlines. Most are not real for most people. The scheme itself runs to 2030. The £9,000 rate does have a fixed application date, but it only applies to a minority of homes: those with no mains gas connection replacing oil or LPG. The yearly budget is real, but it is reported openly each month, so you can check it rather than take anyone's word for it.
Installing a heat pump in a home is zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027 and charged at 5% from 1 April 2027 (HMRC Notice 708/6). That is a change to the price, not to the grant, but it falls on the same date as the end of the £9,000 application window.
What happens after 2030
Nothing has been announced beyond the scheme's current end. The regulations stop new vouchers after 31 December 2029. Any successor would be set by future government decisions, and this page will be updated if one is announced.
Checking the budget yourself
Ofgem's monthly scheme update is the place to look. It shows how many applications have been received, how many vouchers have been issued and redeemed, the value paid, and the budget remaining for the current year. The remaining figure already sets aside money for applications that are still being decided and vouchers that have not yet been claimed, which is why it can go up as well as down. Look at the date the update covers, as well as the date it was published: the figure on this page was for 30 September 2026.
If you are planning an installation months ahead, there is no need to watch the figure closely. It matters most for someone whose installer is about to apply late in a budget year.
What happens if a year's budget runs out
The regulations work in budget periods. When a period's money is committed, Ofgem cannot approve new vouchers against it, and applications are affected until money is released (for example by vouchers expiring unused) or the next period begins. That is why Ofgem reports the remaining figure monthly. Nothing in the figures at 30 September 2026 suggested the 2026-27 money had run out, but the figure is the one to check if you are applying late in the year.