The Government announced on 30 April 2025 a consultation on proposals to expand the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, alongside a commitment to deliver up to 18,000 additional training places through an extension of the Heat Training Grant and the launch of a new Warm Homes Skills Programme1. The announcement was reported by the trade body NAPIT, which represents installers, and by Cosy Homes Oxfordshire, a retrofit service1.
NAPIT said the measures address two barriers to net zero: consumer incentives for switching to low carbon heating, and the need to grow a skilled retrofit workforce1. Its commercial and compliance director, Stephen Melton, said:
"NAPIT welcomes the Government's proposals to expand the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and its commitment to fund up to 18,000 additional training places as part of the Heat Training Grant and new Warm Homes Skills Programme."
Cosy Homes Oxfordshire reported that the proposals would open up more grants for a wider range of low carbon technologies2. It listed air-to-air heat pumps, described as a more affordable option for homes without radiators and soon to be eligible for grant support, and heat batteries, described as compact energy-storing devices that pair well with solar panels2. It also reported flexible payment options including leasing or spreading costs over time, a national training push to help households access trusted professionals, and investment in heat pump manufacturing2.
The Energy Consumers Minister, Miatta Fahnbulleh, was quoted by Cosy Homes Oxfordshire:
"Following a record-breaking month for applications to our Boiler Upgrade Scheme, we are now proposing to give working families more choice and flexibility to pick the low-carbon upgrades that work best for them."
Neither source sets out the grant amounts proposed, the eligibility rules, or the dates on which any expanded scheme would open. The consultation document itself has not been reported in these sources. The current grant amount and eligibility rules are covered in the site's guides to how much the grant is and which homes and systems qualify.
Why it matters for households
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is the main grant route for households replacing a fossil fuel heating system with a heat pump or biomass boiler, and the consultation concerns widening it. Two of the technologies named, air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries, are not currently supported in the way the sources describe as proposed, so homes without radiators, or those wanting to store energy alongside solar panels, may in future have options that the present scheme does not cover2. Payment flexibility, if adopted, would change how the upfront cost of an upgrade falls on a household budget2.
For a home's energy independence, the practical effect depends on details that have not been published: which technologies qualify, at what grant level, and under what conditions. The skills commitment addresses a separate constraint, the availability of installers able to carry out the work, which affects how quickly a household can get a survey and an installation date1. NAPIT added that it hoped the announcement would be supported by a national awareness campaign for homeowners1.
What happens next
The consultation on expanding the scheme is now open, according to the announcement1. No closing date, response date or implementation timetable appears in either source. The extension of the Heat Training Grant and the launch of the Warm Homes Skills Programme are commitments, with no start dates reported1.