What the quote should show
- An itemised price. Ofgem's guidance says the installer should give a clear, itemised quote. Look for the heat pump, the cylinder, radiator work, controls, labour and commissioning as separate lines.
- The grant as a deduction. A line taking the grant off, at the right amount for your home.
- The price you pay. The total after the grant.
- The technology and its size. Which heat pump, and its output in kW.
- Who the installer is. Their MCS certification number, which you can check on the MCS directory, and the consumer code they belong to.
A worked layout
This is an illustration of the layout, not a real quote or a price for your home:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Heat pump, cylinder, radiators, controls, labour and commissioning (itemised above) | £13,000 |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, deducted | minus £7,500 |
| You pay | £5,500 |
For context, the official median price reported for grant-funded air source installations in July to September 2026 was £12,826 (DESNZ), including VAT and the grant value. Your own price comes from your survey.
The charge the installer may not make
Regulations in force since 28 April 2026 require the installer to deduct the voucher value from the quote, and stop them asking the owner for that amount unless the application is refused or the voucher revoked. In plain terms: you should never be asked to pay the grant's share yourself while the grant is still on track.
If a quote asks you to pay the full price now and "get the grant back later", ask the installer to correct it. That is not how the scheme pays.
Checking the amount is right
Most homes get £7,500. A home with no mains gas connection replacing oil or LPG can get £9,000, for applications properly made by 31 March 2027; a capped gas meter counts as a connection. Air-to-air heat pumps in homes get £2,500. If the deduction on your quote does not match the rule for your home, ask why before you accept. The grant checker shows which rule fits.
Before you accept
Accepting the quote is what starts the application, so settle the open points first: the fitting date, the payment terms, what happens if the application is refused, and who to contact while it is in progress. Then watch for Ofgem's email, which you have 14 days to answer: see the consent email.
Points about the grant to settle in the contract
- Refusal. What you would owe if Ofgem refuses the application or revokes the voucher, since that is when the installer may ask you for the grant amount.
- Timing. The fitting date, and how it fits inside the voucher's 3 months for air source (6 for ground source).
- Payments. When each payment is due, and how any deposit is protected under the installer's consumer code.
- Changes. That any change to the price or the system needs your written agreement.
None of these are unusual requests. They simply put in writing what the scheme already assumes.
Comparing quotes on the grant
When you have more than one quote, check each shows the same grant amount for the same reason. If one installer deducts £9,000 and another £7,500 for the same oil-heated home, one of them has read the gas connection differently, and that needs settling before you choose. Compare the totals after the grant, since that is what you pay.