Please note: the £9,000 grant is a temporary uplift for homes heated by oil or LPG and takes effect on 21 July 2026. The standard Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is £7,500. The final scheme rules are still being confirmed by government, so we confirm exactly what your home qualifies for at survey.
If your home runs on oil or LPG rather than mains gas, a change to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is about to put a heat pump within much easier reach.
What is changing
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is the government grant that takes money off the cost of installing an air source or ground source heat pump in England and Wales. The standard grant is £7,500. From 21 July 2026, the government is raising it to £9,000 for homes currently heated by oil or LPG, a £1,500 uplift that recognises off-grid homes have the most to gain from switching. It was announced in April 2026 and is a temporary measure, expected to run until spring 2027.
For homes already on mains gas, the grant stays at £7,500. The higher figure is aimed squarely at off-grid properties.
Why oil and LPG homes are ideal candidates
Off-grid heating is expensive and the price swings with the market. A well-designed heat pump runs at a steady, predictable cost and, for most oil and LPG homes, lower running costs than the system it replaces. With no mains gas to fall back on, the case for a modern, efficient system is simply stronger.
Many of the homes we look after across rural Hertfordshire, Essex and the edges of North London fall into exactly this category: characterful properties, large rooms, and an ageing oil boiler in an outbuilding.
What the grant covers, and what we handle
The grant is paid to the installer, not the homeowner, and comes straight off your quote. As an MCS-certified installer, Sharp Heating completes the Ofgem application on your behalf. You sign a short declaration during the survey and the grant is deducted from your final invoice. You never touch the paperwork.
Should you wait for July?
Not necessarily. The right first step is a proper heat-loss survey, which takes time to design well, and the £7,500 grant is available right now. If you are an oil or LPG home, we will talk you through the timing so you capture the £9,000 from 21 July 2026 without rushing the design.
Find out what your home qualifies for
Book a free survey and we will give you a fixed, itemised quote with the grant already applied, plus an honest view on whether to proceed now or align with the July uplift.