Grants & Policy
The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme Grant: Is It Worth It in Kent?
Ryan Baylis
Heating Engineer
Date & Time
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a government grant of £7,500 toward the cost of installing an air source heat pump (or ground source heat pump) in England and Wales, in place of an existing fossil fuel heating system like a gas or oil boiler.
How it works in practice: you don't apply for the grant yourself. Your MCS-certified installer applies on your behalf, and the £7,500 is deducted directly from your quote. There's no repayment involved; it's a genuine grant, not a loan.
Who it's aimed at: homeowners (and in some cases private landlords) replacing an existing fossil fuel system so it applies whether you're currently on gas or oil.
What it doesn't cover: the grant covers part of the heat pump and installation cost, but not necessarily every associated cost. For example, if your home needs larger radiators or additional insulation work to suit a heat pump properly, those costs sit outside the grant itself.
Is it worth it for your home specifically? This depends heavily on:
Your current insulation standard
Whether your radiators are appropriately sized (heat pumps run at lower flow temperatures than gas boilers, so undersized radiators can mean a less effective, less comfortable result)
Whether you're on mains gas already, or currently reliant on oil (the case is often stronger for oil-heated homes)
How long you plan to stay in the property, since heat pumps typically have a higher upfront cost that pays back over time
Where to check the full official rules: Ofgem's Boiler Upgrade Scheme guidance for property owners sets out the complete eligibility criteria and process in detail, if you want to read the source material yourself before deciding.
Our honest view: the grant is genuinely valuable if your home suits a heat pump well. It's not automatically the right choice for every property, and we'd rather tell you that honestly than push a system that isn't suited to your home.
We're happy to have a no-pressure conversation about whether a heat pump, grant included makes sense for your specific property in Kent. Get in touch.
