A new consultation on expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to give families more choice to access heat pumps has been launched by government, as part of its Warm Homes Plan.
It said demand for heat pumps is surging, with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme – which offers up to £7,500 off the cost – enjoying its best month since opening with 4,028 applications received in March 2025, up 88% on the same month last year.
Proposed changes to the scheme could see families potentially access air-to-air heat pumps and electric heating technologies such as heat batteries, which are currently not eligible for grants under the scheme, alongside new purchase and ownership models. These could, it said, spread the cost of a heat pump over several years, or give households the opportunity to lease one for a monthly fee instead.
The government has also set out plans to bolster the ‘clean power army’, training up to 18,000 more home retrofitters, to install heat pumps, insulation, solar panels and heat networks, alongside a major new deal to support the UK’s heat pump supply chain.
Minister for energy consumers, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said: “Our Warm Homes Plan will mean lower bills and warmer homes for millions of families – helping drive better living standards as part of the Plan for Change. Following a record-breaking month for applications to our Boiler Upgrade Scheme, we are now proposing to give working families more choice and flexibility to pick the low-carbon upgrades that work best for them.”
Ian Rippin, pictured, CEO at MCS, added: “It’s crucial that homeowners are supported in making the move to low carbon technology. Alongside financial support, this means giving consumers confidence in the ability of these technologies to heat and power their homes.
“As the UK’s quality mark for renewable energy technologies like heat pumps, MCS sets product and installation standards to give consumers that confidence, and it is a requirement of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme that installations are MCS certified.
“To provide assurance for alternative low carbon heating systems, MCS is currently developing an installation standard for thermal energy storage systems (TESS), or heat batteries. This is to ensure consumers investing in renewable heating systems can be confident in the quality of their installation, across a range of technology types.”