Boiler Upgrade Scheme Grants: A Herefordshire Homeowner's Guide

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides £7,500 to £9,000 towards eligible air source or ground source heat pump installations in England and Wales. HES is MCS certified, so we handle the paperwork and apply the grant at the quote stage so homeowners see the real net cost. This guide covers eligibility, timelines, and what to expect on install day.

Heat pumps are the biggest change to home heating in a generation, and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is the government's way of making the switch affordable. If you own a home in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, or Gloucestershire and you are weighing up an air source or ground source heat pump, the grant is worth understanding in detail. This guide covers what the scheme actually pays, who qualifies, how HES handles the paperwork, and what to expect from a proper install.

What is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, usually shortened to BUS, is a government-funded voucher scheme that contributes a lump sum towards replacing a fossil fuel heating system with a low-carbon heat pump. It runs in England and Wales and is administered by Ofgem. The grant is paid to the installer, not directly to the homeowner, which is why it is important to work with a company that is MCS certified and comfortable with the paperwork.

To qualify, the property has to be a domestic home in England or Wales, have a valid Energy Performance Certificate with no outstanding recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation, and be replacing a heating system that runs on gas, oil, LPG, or electric heating. New builds are typically excluded, though there are narrow exceptions for self-build projects. The scheme has been extended through 2028 at the time of writing, so there is time to plan properly rather than rush a decision.

The £7,500 and £9,000 Tiers

BUS pays £7,500 towards a qualifying air source heat pump and £9,000 towards a ground source or water source heat pump. That is a flat contribution, not a percentage, so on smaller systems it covers a larger share of the project and on bigger ones it takes a meaningful chunk off the top.

• Air source heat pump: £7,500 grant. Most homes end up here because air source is less disruptive, avoids ground works, and delivers strong efficiency once designed properly.
• Ground source heat pump: £9,000 grant. Ground source needs either a borehole or a horizontal ground loop, which pushes up the total cost but delivers higher year-round efficiency and quieter running.
• Biomass boiler: £5,000 grant, only paid on rural, off-grid properties. Rare in our patch but worth flagging for anyone with an older wood system.

The grant is fixed. It does not scale with the size of your home or the specification of the unit. That means the design has to earn its efficiency through good sizing rather than by lumping on kilowatts.

How HES Applies the Grant at Quote Stage

Some installers quote the gross price and leave the grant to sort itself out later. We do it the other way round. When Ben builds your quote he confirms your eligibility first, then applies the BUS grant as a line item so the price you see on the paperwork is the price you actually pay.

Practically, this means we ask for a copy of your current EPC, check any outstanding recommendations, and confirm the property qualifies before you commit. Once the design is signed off we apply for the voucher on your behalf, and the grant is drawn down at completion rather than left as a claim you have to chase. If eligibility ever looks marginal we say so up front so you can make the call with the real numbers in front of you.

What to Expect on Install

A well-planned heat pump project has more design work than build days. Here is roughly how the sequence runs for a typical air source install in Herefordshire.

• Free survey and heat loss calculation: Ben visits, measures the property, checks radiator sizes and pipework, and runs the numbers. This is where the system gets sized properly rather than by rule of thumb.
• Written quote with grant applied: You get a full breakdown of the unit, cylinder, controls, any radiator upgrades, and the grant deducted. No moving numbers later.
• Grant paperwork: We apply for the BUS voucher and confirm approval before ordering equipment.
• Install week: Most air source installs run three to five days on site. The external unit is fitted, the indoor cylinder is swapped in, controls updated, and any radiator changes carried out.
• Commissioning and MCS certificate: Flow rates measured, controls set, and the MCS certificate issued. That certificate is your grant paperwork and your future proof of a compliant install.
• Aftercare: We check in through the first heating season to tune the flow temperatures and controls so the system runs efficiently, not just correctly.

Why Use an MCS Certified Installer

MCS certification is not optional for BUS grants. Ofgem will only pay the grant on an install carried out by an MCS certified company, and the certificate is the paperwork you hand to a mortgage advisor, an insurer, or the next owner of the property. Beyond the grant, MCS sets standards for design, sizing, and commissioning that keep the system running efficiently for its full life.

HES is MCS certified for heat pumps and a RECC member, so the consumer protections are in place alongside the technical standards. The credentials are checkable through each accreditation body, which matters on a project of this size.

Frequently Asked Questions