MCS published an implementation update for air-to-air heat pumps

MCS published an implementation update on 28 April 2026 setting out how air-to-air heat pumps will be brought into its installer and product Schemes. The certification body said legislation has now come into force to include grants for air-to-air heat pumps in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and that once the technology is fully implemented into MCS, certified installations will be eligible for a grant of £2,500¹.

MCS said it has been working for several months with the Department for Energy Security and Ofgem to incorporate air-to-air heat pumps into the scope of the redeveloped installer Scheme and product Scheme¹. The updated product and installation Standards have already been published. Updated Scheme documents, Installer Operating Requirements and Conformity Assessment Guidelines will soon be published, and are in the process of being approved by UKAS, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service¹.

"Legislation has now come into force to include grants for air-to-air heat pumps in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme"

Formal approval by UKAS will allow installer certification bodies to begin seeking UKAS accreditation to offer air-to-air heat pump certification, including demonstrating they have the correct competencies within their teams to assess installers delivering these systems. MCS said timescales will vary depending on certification body preparation, readiness and UKAS resources¹. MCS is also working with product certification bodies to ensure a pipeline of air-to-air heat pump products are available in the MCS Product Directory and ready for use in MCS certified installations¹.

For installers, MCS restated the competency requirement for the Technical Supervisor role: competence in Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps (RACHP) at Level 3 or above. That role carries overall responsibility for the safety, technical standard and quality of every installation delivered under the redeveloped installer Scheme, and may be filled by someone already in the business or hired or sub-contracted in line with MCS requirements¹. Once certification bodies hold UKAS accreditation, installers will need to apply to extend their scope¹.

Why it matters for households

Air-to-air heat pumps, which heat rooms through air rather than water, have sat outside the MCS certification framework that underpins grant-funded work, and outside the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant. The update confirms the grant route is legislated but not yet open: the £2,500 applies once the technology is fully implemented into MCS, and no date for that has been reported¹. Until certification bodies hold UKAS accreditation and installers can extend their scope, households cannot obtain an MCS certified air-to-air installation, and so cannot claim the grant on that basis.

The practical effect is that a home wanting to move away from gas for heating, or to add cooling, has no certified air-to-air route at present. The competency requirement for a Technical Supervisor, at RACHP Level 3 or above, is the mechanism MCS is using to keep installation quality and safety consistent with other certified technologies¹. For a household, the certification and grant framework is what determines whether an installation is recognised, insurable and eligible for public funding, rather than the equipment itself.

What happens next

MCS said it will continue to provide updates on the process of fully implementing air-to-air into MCS, including when certification bodies have achieved accreditation¹. No dates have been given for UKAS approval, accreditation or the opening of installer scope extensions.

Sources1 cited

1. Getting ready for air-to-air: an update on implementation into MCS - MCS, mcscertified.com