Can I get the £2,500 air conditioning grant right now?

The current scheme includes a £2,500 grant for eligible residential air-to-air heat pumps. An MCS-certified installer applies to Ofgem on your behalf and must confirm the proposed product and installation meet all current requirements.

What does the Product Eligibility List tell me?

It identifies products that meet the relevant MCS standards, but it does not confirm every eligibility requirement for a particular installation. Your installer must check the full BUS rules.

What should I ask an installer?

Ask them to identify the current Product Eligibility List entry for the model in their quote and to confirm their MCS certification and the remaining BUS eligibility conditions.

Should I wait for the grant or install now?

If you need heating replaced urgently, an air-to-water heat pump is available today at £7,500. If you want cooling only, the grant was never going to apply to you. If you are planning a heating replacement within a year and air-to-air suits the property, waiting may be worth £2,500.

Is there a grant for air conditioning in Scotland?

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers England and Wales only. Scotland runs the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme separately, and Northern Ireland has its own arrangements.

Can I claim the grant retrospectively if I install now?

No. The grant is applied by your installer at the point of installation and deducted from your invoice. There is no retrospective claim route.

Guide · Grant status

The £2,500 air-to-air grant: where it actually stands

Last verified 26 July 20267 min read

Current status

Last verified: 26 July 2026.

The current Boiler Upgrade Scheme includes a £2,500 grant for eligible air-to-air heat pumps installed in residential properties. The application is installer-led: an MCS-certified installer applies to Ofgem on the property owner's behalf.

Ofgem's Product Eligibility List, updated 23 July 2026, includes air-to-air heat-pump models. A listing is not a decision on a particular installation: the installer must still confirm the product, property and installation meet all current requirements.

This page explains the current official position and the checks an installer must make before applying.

What the law says

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/390, were made on 19 March 2026 and came into force on 28 April 2026. They amend the original 2022 regulations rather than replacing them, and they changed four things that matter.

Change	Effect
Eligible technologies	Air-to-air heat pumps added, with a £2,500 grant
EPC requirement	Removed. A valid EPC is no longer needed to apply
MCS certification	Moved into the primary regulations rather than installer guidance
Scheme duration	Extended to 2030 as part of the Warm Homes Plan

Sources: the BUS regulations, Ofgem's current guidance and its Product Eligibility List. Links are in the sources section below.

From 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027, specified eligible off-gas-grid properties replacing oil or LPG heating can receive £9,000 towards an air-to-water or ground-source heat pump. That uplift does not apply to air-to-air.

The applicable grant depends on the technology installed and the property's circumstances.

What your installer must confirm

A Boiler Upgrade Scheme voucher is not something you apply for yourself. Your MCS-certified installer makes the application to Ofgem on your behalf.

Ofgem's Product Eligibility List is an administrative tool that identifies products meeting the relevant MCS standards. It does not, by itself, establish that a particular installation is eligible.

Before applying, the installer must confirm the model, their MCS certification, the property and the installation against the current BUS rules. Ask them to identify the product entry and explain how the proposal meets the requirements.

An installer can confirm whether a proposed product and installation meet the current scheme requirements.

Check eligibility

Questions to ask an installer

Ask which current Ofgem Product Eligibility List entry covers the model in the quote.

Ask the installer to confirm their MCS certification covers the proposed work and to explain any further property or installation conditions that apply.

What you should do now

Get a quote from an MCS-certified installer and ask them to assess the proposed air-to-air heat pump against the current BUS rules before you commit to an installation.

If you are considering another technology, the current scheme lists £7,500 for air-to-water and ground-source heat pumps, with a £9,000 value for specified eligible off-gas-grid cases until 31 March 2027.

What we check

We review the current Ofgem guidance, the Product Eligibility List, the BUS regulations and relevant MCS standards for changes that affect this page.

Frequently asked questions

SOURCES

Ofgem: Boiler Upgrade Scheme Ofgem: Product Eligibility List Ofgem: Property owner guidance v5.1 Ofgem: Installer Guidance v5.1 GOV.UK: Boiler Upgrade Scheme eligibility legislation.gov.uk: BUS amendment regulations 2026