Can I get a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant if my EPC recommends loft insulation?

The practical answer depends on which version of the rules an application falls under. Where an EPC does carry a loft or cavity wall insulation recommendation and no exemption applies, the older guidance required the owner to confirm they intended to install it and to obtain a new EPC with no such recommendations by the voucher redemption date². That requirement has since been dropped, and the government's own response confirmed the removal took effect on 8 May 2024³.

What remains is a scheme built around the heat pump itself: a minimum in situ seasonal coefficient of performance of 2.8, a system that provides 100% of the property's space heating, and an installer-led application through Ofgem⁴.

What the Boiler Upgrade Scheme actually requires of your home

The scheme's requirements sit with the property and the installation, not with the EPC's list of suggested improvements. Insulation requirements, where they applied, were judged through information on the EPC rather than through a separate survey¹⁰. The Public Accounts Committee recorded that the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero told it the requirement would be removed in May 2024, "which duly happened on 8 May"³.

The change had been signalled earlier. A consultation response noted that the requirement not to have outstanding EPC recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation could be removed without risking the installed heat pumps being ineffective¹¹. MCS recorded the outcome as removing the requirement to have no outstanding recommendations for loft and cavity wall insulation on the EPC¹².

Two exemptions existed even under the older rules. Installations in eligible self-builds did not need to supply evidence that the minimum required level of insulation was present, because those properties are required to be insulated in line with current building regulations¹. And where an EPC listed no loft or cavity wall insulation recommendations at all, the property fulfilled the insulation requirements¹.

The current position is simpler. From 28 April 2026, properties are no longer required to have a valid EPC to apply for the scheme⁴. The government has also set out an intention to amend eligibility criteria to relax the EPC requirement from 2026/27 onwards, adopting a hybrid model¹³. For a household, the insulation recommendation on an old certificate is not the obstacle it once was.

Grant amounts: £7,500 standard, £9,000 for some off-gas-grid homes

The standard grant value is £7,500⁶. From 21 July 2026, eligible off-gas grid properties can apply for an uplifted grant of £9,000 towards an air-to-water or ground source heat pump⁷. The uplift applies to homes heated by oil or LPG, and the property must not be fuelled by mains gas¹⁴.

The uplift is temporary. Independent guidance describes it as running until 31 March 2027, with a recommendation to check the latest position¹⁶. A maker's guidance frames the same point as a temporary uplift to £9,000 for eligible off-gas grid properties from July 2026¹⁷, and another states that the £9,000 grant is available to eligible off-gas grid homes reliant on heating oil or LPG only¹⁸.

That last point matters for anyone on mains gas. The £9,000 uplift is not available to homeowners with gas central heating systems¹⁸. A gas-heated home can still apply for the standard grant, but the higher figure is reserved for properties off the gas network.

For a household's energy independence, the grant reduces the capital cost of moving space heating off a delivered fuel. It does not remove the electricity supply that the heat pump then depends on, and it does not cover the full installed cost. Prices are installer-quoted, and the grant is discounted from the invoice rather than paid to the household.

How the installer-led application and voucher process works

The application is installer-led, with the installer applying for the grant on the property owner's behalf⁹. The installer discounts the grant from the invoice, applies to Ofgem for a grant voucher, and redeems the voucher after installation and commissioning⁹. A household cannot apply directly: the scheme is installer-led and you cannot apply yourself¹⁴.

The process runs in two stages. Installers submit a voucher application, stage 1a, where Ofgem checks whether the pre-installation eligibility criteria are met. If the application succeeds, Ofgem issues the voucher at stage 1b¹⁹. Only MCS certified installers can apply for and redeem vouchers on behalf of property owners²⁰, and they need to create a Boiler Upgrade Scheme installer account on Ofgem's website²¹.

1. The installer checks the property against the scheme rules and quotes for the work.
2. The installer submits a voucher application to Ofgem, with confirmation that the property owner has consented to the application being made on their behalf²².
3. Ofgem checks the pre-installation eligibility criteria and issues a voucher if the application succeeds¹⁹.
4. The installation is completed and commissioned.
5. The installer redeems the voucher, and the grant is discounted from the invoice⁹.

Voucher validity varies by technology. The voucher must be redeemed within 6 months for ground source heat pumps⁸. Installers may also apply for a voucher after an installation has been commissioned, provided the application is properly made within 120 days of commissioning⁸.

That restriction means a property can receive only one grant. A property is not eligible if a previous Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant has already been received for installing a heat pump or biomass boiler at the same address²³. The funded system must also fully replace the property's existing fossil fuel or electric heating system, except where supplementary heating appliances are permitted²⁴, and it must provide 100% of the space heating needs of the eligible property²⁴.

Where the scheme draws its lines

Several property types and system designs fall outside the scheme, and these limits are worth knowing before an installer is appointed.

• Social housing: properties classed as social housing are not eligible for Boiler Upgrade Scheme funding, and this includes shared ownership properties¹⁴. Ofgem lists social housing among ineligible properties²⁵.
• New builds: new builds are excluded unless they are custom-build properties²⁴.
• Hybrid systems: the funded system must fully replace the existing fossil fuel or electric heating system, so a hybrid that retains a fossil fuel boiler as the main heat source does not meet the test²⁴.
• Second grants: a property that has already received a grant for a heat pump or biomass boiler cannot receive another²³.
• Performance: the heat pump must achieve an in situ seasonal coefficient of performance of at least 2.8⁴.

Self-build properties are treated differently. Heat pumps may be eligible for Boiler Upgrade Scheme funding where all other scheme rules are met⁷, and installations in eligible self-builds do not need to supply evidence that the minimum required level of insulation is present¹.

On combining funding, the rules are explicit. Funding from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the Energy Company Obligation cannot be blended for the same measure or be included within an ECO4 project²⁶. ECO4 itself funds insulation, boilers and central heating, and solar and renewable energy technologies²⁷, so the two schemes can address different measures at the same property, but not the same one. More on how the two compare sits in Boiler Upgrade Scheme vs ECO4, and the insulation side is covered in ECO4.

When the scheme closes and what it means for planning your installation

The scheme is scheduled to close at 11:59pm on 30 December 2029⁹. Ofgem can issue vouchers up to 31 December 2029²³. The uplifted £9,000 grant for off-gas grid properties runs on a shorter timetable, to 31 March 2027¹⁶.

Those two dates shape planning. A household considering the higher off-gas grid figure is working to a nearer deadline than the scheme's overall closure, and the voucher must be redeemed within 6 months for ground source heat pumps⁸. Retrospective applications are permitted if properly made within 120 days of commissioning⁸, which gives some flexibility where an installation has already taken place.

The wider policy context is a phase-out of fossil fuel heating. The Heat and Buildings Strategy set a target for phasing out gas boilers from 2035 in favour of low-carbon alternatives²⁸. For a household, the scheme's value lies in reducing the upfront cost of a heat pump and moving space heating off oil, LPG or gas. The dependence that remains is on electricity, on the grid connection that supplies it, and on the installer who holds the voucher and the warranty relationship. The grant does not change any of those.