Plain-English answers on planning permission, hot water, and how the Boiler Upgrade Scheme actually works for air-to-air heat pumps.
The current £2,500 grant covers eligible residential air-to-air heat pumps. What an installer must confirm, verified July 2026.
When homes in England need planning permission for an outdoor air-con unit, and when permitted development covers it.
Conservation-area rules in Westminster, permitted development limits, and planning checks for flats.
How Boiler Upgrade Scheme rules apply to existing boilers, retained components and hot water with air-to-air heat pumps.
Air-to-air heat pumps get £2,500; air-to-water and ground-source usually get £7,500, with a £9,000 uplift from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027 for eligible off-gas-grid homes.
Planning rules and conservation areas vary by borough. See the grant rules for your part of London.