BOILER UPGRADE SCHEME

On 23 May 2022 the final gate of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme was opened by the UK Government. With the cost of living making the headlines we look at the benefits of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Decarbonisation is a key topic of the heating industry at present and will be for the coming decades until we achieve the UK’s 2050 net zero target. It is imperative that we reduce our impact on the environment, so as previous schemes end such as the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), this commitment from the government to make funding available via the new Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is welcomed.

The BUS will encourage more homeowners to make the switch to heat pumps as a viable alternative to fossil fuel domestic heating.

With funding of £450million over a three-year period available, installations replacing a fossil fuel boiler may be eligible for upfront grants of £5000 towards the installation of an air source heat pump or a biomass boiler, and £6000 towards the installation of a ground source heat pump.

Installers will need to register on the scheme to apply for the grant on behalf of the homeowner, which will then be deducted from the final invoice. So, in comparison to the RHI, which was a repayment scheme over a seven-year period, the BUS is a huge step forward in making heat pumps more affordable by offering upfront financial support.

The scheme is open to domestic and small non-domestic properties in England and Wales. It runs from 2022 to 2025. To register as an installer visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ environmental-and-social-schemes/boiler-upgrade-schemebus/sign-and-apply