Boiler Upgrade Scheme Eligibility 2026: Current Grant Guide for Scunthorpe

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a UK government grant for eligible heat pump and biomass installations in England and Wales. It is administered by Ofgem and is designed to reduce the upfront cost of moving away from fossil fuel heating where the property and proposed system are a suitable fit.

What is the current Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant?

The current approved BUS values are: Current approved BUS grant values are £7,500 for air-to-water heat pumps, £2,500 for air-to-air (A2A) heat pumps, £7,500 for ground-source or water-source heat pumps, and £5,000 for eligible biomass boilers, subject to official criteria. Nimbus confirms the live GOV.UK and Ofgem application route before quoting or submitting the grant.

Oil and LPG update: GOV.UK also announced on 21 April 2026 that properties heated by oil or LPG will have BUS support increased to £9,000. Nimbus confirms the live application route before quoting or deducting this uplift.

The grant is applied through your installer and deducted from the quoted installation cost rather than paid to you separately. Heat pump installations can also benefit from 0% VAT under the current rules. Nimbus can handle the grant process as part of the job when the property qualifies.

Last checked against GOV.UK and Ofgem: 6 May 2026.

Who is eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?

Most qualifying homeowners are replacing an existing fossil-fuel or eligible electric heating system with a correctly designed low-carbon system installed through an MCS-certified installation route. The property also needs a valid EPC, and the final installation must meet the live scheme rules at the point the application is submitted.

Eligibility criteria in North Lincolnshire

To qualify for the BUS grant, the key checks are usually straightforward:

• Property ownership: You must own the property, including if it is a second home, a rental property, or a small non-domestic building.
• Previous heating system: You must be replacing a fossil fuel system such as gas, oil, LPG, or an eligible electric heating system.
• Approved grant value: The grant category, fuel-position detail and value must match the installed technology and the live official scheme criteria when the application is made.
• EPC requirements: Your property must have a valid EPC. Loft or cavity wall insulation is no longer a blanket condition of the grant, but suitability still needs to be checked by the installer.
• System capacity: The proposed installation must be within the scheme capacity limits, which cover the vast majority of domestic homes.
• MCS certification: The installation must be carried out through an MCS-certified route.

Who usually fits the scheme best?

The most straightforward cases are often owner-occupied homes with a valid EPC and enough space for the outdoor unit and any necessary internal changes. Homes replacing fossil fuel or eligible electric heating can be strong candidates, but the property and system design still need to stack up properly.

Why consider a heat pump in Scunthorpe?

Scunthorpe and the surrounding villages have a wide mix of property types, which is why surveys matter. Modern heat pumps can work well in low outdoor temperatures when the system is properly designed. They can make particular sense if you are replacing fossil fuel heating, eligible electric heating, or want lower-carbon heating with grant support. Compared with a modern gas boiler, running costs can be similar and depend heavily on design, insulation, controls, and tariff.

The application process with Nimbus

We keep the process as clear as possible:

1. Home survey: We assess the property, review the existing heating setup, and carry out the design work needed to judge suitability.
2. Working quote: We provide a quote that shows the current eligible grant deduction clearly where the job qualifies.
3. Grant application: The application is submitted through the official route and you confirm consent when prompted.
4. Installation: Qualified engineers install the system and complete the commissioning and certification process.
5. Handover: We explain how the system works and provide the documents you need for the completed installation.