Why applications are refused
Ofgem decides each application against the scheme's rules. Refusals tend to come from a rule that was not met, or a step that was missed:
- The owner did not confirm within 14 days of Ofgem's email.
- The property is excluded: social housing, most new builds, or a property already funded for a heat pump.
- The system is excluded, for example a hybrid that keeps a boiler.
- The grant band was wrong, such as the £9,000 rate claimed for a home with a capped gas meter.
- A retrospective application was made after the 120-day limit.
The review route
A refusal is not always final. Ofgem's guidance allows a statutory review of a decision, but two limits apply. Only the installer can request it, not the owner. And the request must be made within 28 days of the notice of the decision. If you believe a decision is wrong, contact your installer straight away, explain why, and ask them to request a review in time.
What a refusal means for the price
The rules stop an installer asking you for the grant amount while the application is on track. They allow it where the application is refused or the voucher revoked. So, depending on your contract, a refusal after the work is done can leave you paying the full price, not the price minus the grant. For most homes the difference is £7,500.
The retrospective risk
Applying after the heat pump is already fitted is allowed, within 120 days of commissioning according to Ofgem, but its guidance warns that it carries additional risk for the owner. The work and the cost are already committed when the decision is made. If you are considering it, for example after a boiler breakdown, ask the installer in writing what you would owe if the application failed.
Keeping the risk low
- Use the grant checker and the eligibility rules before you ask for quotes.
- Tell installers about anything unusual: a capped gas meter, a previous grant, a property once owned by a business.
- Make sure the quote shows the right grant band, and that the contract says what happens if the grant is refused.
- Answer Ofgem's consent email well inside the 14 days.
- Apply before the work, rather than retrospectively, wherever you can.
If you have paid and something has gone wrong
Raise it with the installer in writing first. Installers taking part must belong to a consumer code (Ofgem lists HIES, RECC and MCS), and each has a complaints and dispute route for consumers. If you want a view on which rule applies to your case, ask through the form below.
An illustrative review
An example of the sequence, not a real case. An installer applies for £9,000 for an oil-heated home. Ofgem's checks find a recorded gas meter point at the address, so it decides the higher rate does not apply. The owner tells the installer the meter was removed, not capped, and has a letter from the gas network to show it. The installer requests a statutory review within 28 days, with the letter as evidence. Ofgem reviews the decision on that evidence. Whatever the outcome, the owner knew before any work started, because the application was made before fitting.
A refusal is also worth learning from even if you do not seek a review. The reason Ofgem gives tells you whether a fresh application could succeed, and it is the best evidence to take to the installer about what should happen to the price under your contract.