The £9,000 heat pump grant: what it means for gas engineers

From 21 July 2026, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £9,000 towards an air-source or ground-source heat pump in off-gas-grid homes currently heated by oil or LPG, in England and Wales. That's £1,500 more than the standard £7,500 grant, and the higher amount runs until 31 March 2027.

What's changed

• The heat pump grant rises from £7,500 to £9,000, but only for off-gas-grid homes currently on oil or LPG.
• It covers air-to-water and ground-source heat pumps. Biomass boilers (£5,000) and air-to-air units (£2,500) are unchanged.
• It applies in England and Wales. Scotland runs its own support through Home Energy Scotland.
• It's a temporary uplift: for grants applied for from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. Vouchers already issued stay at £7,500.

Who qualifies

The property has to be off the gas grid and currently heated by oil or LPG. The official messaging leads on oil homes, but LPG homes qualify too. The usual Boiler Upgrade Scheme conditions still apply, including a valid EPC for the property. And, as with all scheme work, the installation must be carried out by an MCS-certified installer, who claims the grant and takes it straight off the price, so the customer sees a lower bill rather than a cheque.

What it means if you're on the tools

For gas engineers, two things. First, expect questions. Any customer in an off-grid oil or LPG home who's been putting off a decision now has a bigger reason to ask about a heat pump, and they'll ask the engineer they trust. Second, it's another nudge on the cross-training question. Installs under the scheme need MCS certification, not just Gas Safe registration, so the work sits with engineers who've made that move. Whether that's you is a business call, not a today call, but the grant makes that corner of the market a little bigger.

For landlords

If you let an off-grid property heated by oil or LPG, this is the cheapest a heat pump swap has been under the scheme, and the window is short. It won't suit every property, but it's worth a conversation with an MCS installer before the uplift ends in March 2027.