--- title: "Boiler Upgrade Scheme: £7,500 Heat Pump Grant Explained" description: "How the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant works in 2026: eligibility, what it covers, the MCS paperwork, real costs after the grant and how BHL handles the application for Cheshire homeowners." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "LocalBusiness", "name": "BHL Underfloor Heating Ltd", "telephone": "+441615311141", "email": "hello@bhl.direct", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "Stanley Green Trading Estate, Unit G035, Duke Ave, Cheadle Hulme", "addressLocality": "Cheadle", "postalCode": "SK8 6RX", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "areaServed": [ "Wilmslow", "Alderley Edge", "Bramhall", "Cheadle", "Cheadle Hulme", "Prestbury", "Macclesfield", "Sale", "South Manchester" ], "openingHours": [ "Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00" ], "openingHoursSpecification": [ { "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification", "dayOfWeek": [ "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday" ], "opens": "08:00", "closes": "17:00" }, { "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification", "dayOfWeek": [ "Saturday", "Sunday" ], "opens": "00:00", "closes": "00:00" } ], "priceRange": "£££" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "name": "BHL Underfloor Heating Ltd", "legalName": "BHL Underfloor Heating Ltd", "url": "https://bhl.direct", "telephone": "+441615311141", "email": "hello@bhl.direct", "foundingDate": "2020", "taxID": "12999659", "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+441615311141", "contactType": "customer service", "areaServed": "GB", "availableLanguage": "English" } ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "Stanley Green Trading Estate, Unit G035, Duke Ave, Cheadle Hulme", "addressLocality": "Cheadle", "postalCode": "SK8 6RX", "addressCountry": "GB" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "name": "BHL Underfloor Heating Ltd", "url": "https://bhl.direct", "inLanguage": "en-GB", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "BHL Underfloor Heating Ltd" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://bhl.direct/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Guides", "item": "https://bhl.direct/guides" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "ItemList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "url": "https://bhl.direct/guides/boiler-upgrade-scheme-grant", "name": "The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme Grant Explained" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "url": "https://bhl.direct/guides/air-source-heat-pumps-vs-gas-boilers", "name": "Air Source Heat Pumps vs Gas Boilers" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://bhl.direct/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Guides", "item": "https://bhl.direct/guides" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Boiler Upgrade Scheme Grant", "item": "https://bhl.direct/guides/boiler-upgrade-scheme-grant" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How much is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant worth?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The grant is £7,500 towards an air source heat pump or ground source heat pump. It is paid to your MCS certified installer, so it comes off your quoted price rather than being something you claim back later." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do I apply for the grant myself?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Only an MCS certified installer can apply on your behalf. BHL raises the application, submits the MCS certificate and handles the voucher process from start to finish. You are asked to confirm the application by email, and that is the extent of your paperwork." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does my home need to be fully insulated first?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "You need a valid EPC without outstanding loft or cavity wall insulation recommendations. If your EPC does flag them, the work usually costs far less than people expect and the EPC can then be reissued." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I get the grant for a new build?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Generally no. The scheme is aimed at replacing fossil fuel heating in existing homes. Self builds can qualify in limited circumstances, and we will tell you at survey stage whether yours does." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long does a heat pump installation take?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Most installations take between 1 and 5 working days, with 2 to 3 days being typical. Homes where we are also retrofitting underfloor heating sit at the longer end of that range." } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "Boiler Upgrade Scheme: £7,500 Heat Pump Grant Explained", "description": "How the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant works in 2026: eligibility, what it covers, the MCS paperwork, real costs after the grant and how BHL handles the application for Cheshire homeowners.", "mainEntityOfPage": "https://bhl.direct/guides/boiler-upgrade-scheme-grant", "inLanguage": "en-GB", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "BHL Underfloor Heating Ltd" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "BHL Underfloor Heating Ltd" } } ] --- [0161 531 1141 ](tel:+441615311141) [hello@bhl.direct](mailto:hello@bhl.direct) Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM [![BHL Underfloor Heating Ltd](/assets/bhl-logo-Dw8GIkgL.png)](/) [About](/about) [Services](/services) [Retrofit Floor Milling](/services/retrofit-floor-milling)[Retrofit Domestic Installations](/services/retrofit-domestic)[New Build Underfloor Heating](/services/new-builds)[Air Source Heat Pumps](/services/air-source-heat-pumps)[Servicing & Maintenance](/services/servicing-maintenance)[Fault Diagnosis & Repair](/services/fault-diagnosis-repair)[Smart Thermostat & Zonal Control](/services/smart-thermostats)[Commercial Installations](/services/commercial)[Consultancy & System Design](/services/consultancy-design)[All services →](/services) [Areas](/areas) [Wilmslow](/areas/wilmslow)[Alderley Edge](/areas/alderley-edge)[Bramhall](/areas/bramhall)[Cheadle](/areas/cheadle)[Cheadle Hulme](/areas/cheadle-hulme)[Prestbury](/areas/prestbury)[Macclesfield](/areas/macclesfield)[Sale, Manchester](/areas/sale-manchester)[South Manchester](/areas/south-manchester)[All areas →](/areas) [Our Work](/our-work)[Reviews](/reviews)[Contact](/contact) [0161 531 1141](tel:+441615311141)[Request Estimate](/contact) Guide # The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, explained properly. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is the most generous heating grant available to English homeowners, yet most of the confusion around it comes from people being told half the story. This guide covers who qualifies, what the money actually buys you, and what happens step by step when BHL handles the application for a Cheshire home. ## What the Boiler Upgrade Scheme actually is The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, usually shortened to BUS, is a government funded grant administered by Ofgem. It pays £7,500 towards the cost of an air source heat pump or a ground source heat pump replacing fossil fuel heating in an existing home in England or Wales. It is not a loan, there is nothing to repay, and it is not means tested. A household on any income can claim it, provided the property qualifies. The single most important thing to understand is that you never touch the money. The grant is applied for by an MCS certified installer, approved by Ofgem, and deducted from your invoice. When BHL quotes you for an [air source heat pump installation](/services/air-source-heat-pumps), the figure you see already has the £7,500 taken off. There is no waiting for a rebate and no cashflow gap for you to bridge. That also means the grant is only as good as the installer attached to it. An installer who is not MCS certified cannot apply, full stop. BHL holds MCS accreditation alongside NAPIT registration, RECC membership and Gas Safe registration, which is the combination Ofgem and the consumer codes expect to see behind a compliant installation. ## Who qualifies for the grant Eligibility is more straightforward than the internet suggests. There are four tests, and most Cheshire homes pass all four without any additional work. - **The property is in England or Wales.** Scotland has a separate scheme with different rules. - **You own the property.** Owner occupiers, landlords and small non domestic properties can all claim. New builds are excluded apart from a narrow band of self build cases. - **You have a valid EPC with no outstanding insulation recommendations.** Specifically, no unmet loft insulation or cavity wall insulation recommendations. Solid wall recommendations do not block the grant. - **You are replacing a fossil fuel system.** Gas, oil, LPG and electric heating all count. Homes already running on a heat pump or on biomass in most cases do not. If your EPC does carry an insulation recommendation, that is rarely the end of the road. Topping up loft insulation to current depth is a low cost job, and once it is done the EPC can be reassessed. We flag this at survey rather than letting it surface halfway through an installation. ## What the £7,500 realistically buys A typical three or four bedroom Cheshire home needs somewhere between an 8kW and a 12kW air source heat pump. Installed properly, with the cylinder, buffer arrangement where required, pipework alterations, controls, commissioning and MCS certification, that is a meaningful piece of work. The grant covers a large proportion of it, and for smaller, well insulated properties it can cover the majority. What moves the final figure up or down is almost never the heat pump itself. It is the emitters. A heat pump runs at a much lower flow temperature than a gas boiler, so the heat has to leave the system across a larger surface area. That means either larger radiators or, far better, [retrofit underfloor heating](/services/retrofit-domestic). Where lifting floors is not an option, our [retrofit floor milling](/services/retrofit-floor-milling) method cuts pipe channels straight into the existing slab, so you get the ideal emitter for a heat pump without rebuilding the floor. Homeowners who pair the grant with underfloor heating tend to get the best long term result, because the heat pump can then run at 35 to 40 degrees rather than 50 plus. Every degree lower is a measurable improvement in efficiency, and efficiency is what determines your running cost for the next fifteen years. ## The process, step by step ### 1\. Free survey An engineer visits, measures the property, checks the existing pipework and radiators, looks at where the outdoor unit and cylinder can sensibly go, and confirms the EPC position. This is a genuine technical survey rather than a sales visit. We survey Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, usually within the same week you get in touch. ### 2\. Heat loss calculation and design Every room is calculated individually to MCS standards. This determines the heat pump size, the flow temperature the system can run at and whether each room's existing emitter is adequate. Because this is done properly rather than estimated, heat pump quotations take 3 to 7 days to come back. Underfloor heating only quotations come back within 24 hours. ### 3\. Fixed price quotation, grant already deducted You receive a single figure with the £7,500 already applied, itemised so you can see exactly what the grant has offset. Nothing is payable to hold a slot. ### 4\. Grant application We raise the BUS application with Ofgem. You receive an email asking you to confirm you have consented to the installation and understand the grant. That confirmation is the only paperwork that lands on you. Ofgem issues a voucher, and that voucher has a validity window, which is one reason we do not raise applications long before an installation is scheduled. ### 5\. Installation Most installations run between 1 and 5 working days, with 2 to 3 days typical. You keep hot water and heating for all but a short changeover period, and we work around occupied homes as standard. ### 6\. Commissioning, MCS certificate and handover The system is commissioned, balanced and set to its design flow temperature, and the MCS certificate is issued. That certificate is what releases the grant and what you will need for any future EPC or property sale. You get a controls walkthrough on the day and our [servicing and maintenance](/services/servicing-maintenance) options explained, plus a 2 year workmanship warranty on our installation alongside the manufacturer's warranty on the equipment. ## Common misconceptions worth clearing up - **"The grant runs out."** Funding is allocated in annual budgets, so applications are not unlimited across a year, but there is no queue to join in advance. The practical answer is to survey now rather than defer. - **"I need to replace every radiator."** Usually untrue. The heat loss calculation typically identifies a handful of rooms that need a larger emitter, not a whole house strip out. - **"Heat pumps do not work in older houses."** They work in most Cheshire housing stock, including Victorian and 1930s properties. What matters is the emitter surface area and the flow temperature, not the age of the brickwork. - **"They are noisy."** A modern unit sits around the noise level of a fridge at a few metres. Siting is part of the MCS design, and we assess it at survey. ## Is it worth it for your home? The honest answer depends on what you are replacing and what emitters you have. Homes coming off oil or LPG almost always see an immediate running cost improvement. Homes coming off mains gas see a smaller difference on day one, but with underfloor heating and a low flow temperature the gap closes considerably, and the direction of travel on gas pricing and building regulations only points one way. Where we will tell you not to proceed is a property with very high heat loss, no realistic route to improving the emitters, and no appetite for insulation work. We would rather lose the job than install a system that disappoints. If that is your property, our [consultancy and system design](/services/consultancy-design) service can map out a staged route instead. For a straight answer on your own property, compare the numbers in our [heat pumps versus gas boilers guide](/guides/air-source-heat-pumps-vs-gas-boilers), or look at what we have already delivered locally in [Wilmslow](/areas/wilmslow), [Macclesfield](/areas/macclesfield) and [South Manchester](/areas/south-manchester). ## Frequently asked questions ### How much is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant worth? The grant is £7,500 towards an air source heat pump or ground source heat pump. It is paid to your MCS certified installer, so it comes off your quoted price rather than being something you claim back later. ### Do I apply for the grant myself? No. Only an MCS certified installer can apply on your behalf. BHL raises the application, submits the MCS certificate and handles the voucher process from start to finish. You are asked to confirm the application by email, and that is the extent of your paperwork. ### Does my home need to be fully insulated first? You need a valid EPC without outstanding loft or cavity wall insulation recommendations. If your EPC does flag them, the work usually costs far less than people expect and the EPC can then be reissued. ### Can I get the grant for a new build? Generally no. The scheme is aimed at replacing fossil fuel heating in existing homes. Self builds can qualify in limited circumstances, and we will tell you at survey stage whether yours does. ### How long does a heat pump installation take? Most installations take between 1 and 5 working days, with 2 to 3 days being typical. Homes where we are also retrofitting underfloor heating sit at the longer end of that range. ## Find out what your home qualifies for. Book a free survey and we will confirm your grant eligibility, size the system properly and give you a fixed price with the £7,500 already deducted. [Request Free Survey](/contact) [0161 531 1141](tel:+441615311141) ![BHL Underfloor Heating Ltd](/assets/bhl-logo-Dw8GIkgL.png) Cheshire's retrofit underfloor heating and air source heat pump specialists. Family-run since 2020, MCS-accredited and trusted by homeowners across the North West. [0161 531 1141 ](tel:+441615311141) [hello@bhl.direct](mailto:hello@bhl.direct) Stanley Green Trading Estate, Unit G035 Duke Ave, Cheadle Hulme Cheadle SK8 6RX [](https://www.facebook.com/share/1Zs2MgVjSr/?mibextid=wwXIfr)[](https://www.instagram.com/bhl.underfloor?igsh=M3ZldTNwOWUybG03&utm_source=qr) ## Services - [Retrofit Floor Milling](/services/retrofit-floor-milling "Retrofit Floor Milling in Cheshire, BHL Underfloor Heating") - [Retrofit Domestic Installations](/services/retrofit-domestic "Retrofit Domestic Installations in Cheshire, BHL Underfloor Heating") - [New Build Underfloor Heating](/services/new-builds "New Build Underfloor Heating in Cheshire, BHL Underfloor Heating") - [Air Source Heat Pumps](/services/air-source-heat-pumps "Air Source Heat Pumps in Cheshire, BHL Underfloor Heating") - [Servicing & Maintenance](/services/servicing-maintenance "Servicing & Maintenance in Cheshire, BHL Underfloor Heating") - [Fault Diagnosis & Repair](/services/fault-diagnosis-repair "Fault Diagnosis & Repair in Cheshire, BHL Underfloor Heating") - [Smart Thermostat & Zonal Control](/services/smart-thermostats "Smart Thermostat & Zonal Control in Cheshire, BHL Underfloor Heating") - [Commercial Installations](/services/commercial "Commercial Installations in Cheshire, BHL Underfloor Heating") - [Consultancy & System Design](/services/consultancy-design "Consultancy & System Design in Cheshire, BHL Underfloor Heating") ## Areas Served - [Wilmslow](/areas/wilmslow "Underfloor heating Wilmslow, MCS-accredited installer") - [Alderley Edge](/areas/alderley-edge "Underfloor heating Alderley Edge, MCS-accredited installer") - [Bramhall](/areas/bramhall "Underfloor heating Bramhall, MCS-accredited installer") - [Cheadle](/areas/cheadle "Underfloor heating Cheadle, MCS-accredited installer") - [Cheadle Hulme](/areas/cheadle-hulme "Underfloor heating Cheadle Hulme, MCS-accredited installer") - [Prestbury](/areas/prestbury "Underfloor heating Prestbury, MCS-accredited installer") - [Macclesfield](/areas/macclesfield "Underfloor heating Macclesfield, MCS-accredited installer") - [Sale, Manchester](/areas/sale-manchester "Underfloor heating Sale, Manchester, MCS-accredited installer") - [South Manchester](/areas/south-manchester "Underfloor heating South Manchester, MCS-accredited installer") ## Company - [About](/about) - [Our Work](/our-work) - [Underfloor Heating Case Studies](/case-studies) - [Heat Pump & UFH Guides](/guides) - [Reviews](/reviews) - [Contact](/contact) ## Opening Hours - Mon 8am – 5pm - Tue 8am – 5pm - Wed 8am – 5pm - Thu 8am – 5pm - Fri 8am – 5pm - Sat Closed - Sun Closed MCS Accredited NAPIT Registered RECC Member Gas Safe Register © 2026 BHL Underfloor Heating Ltd. 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