BUS Grant Eligibility: Does Your Home Qualify for the £7,500 Heat Pump Grant?

Most homeowners in England and Wales who own their property and currently heat it with a fossil fuel system will qualify for the £7,500 BUS grant in 2026. The main criteria are straightforward: you need a valid EPC, an eligible property type, and an MCS certified installer to carry out the work. Below, we'll walk through every single qualification criterion so you can check your own situation before picking up the phone.

What Exactly Is the BUS Grant and How Much Can You Get?

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a government-funded grant that knocks £7,500 off the cost of installing an air source heat pump, ground source heat pump, or biomass boiler. It's available in England and Wales and is administered by Ofgem. You don't apply for it yourself. Your MCS certified installer applies on your behalf, and the grant is paid directly to them, reducing the amount you pay.

The scheme was originally set to close in March 2028, and as of April 2026, funding remains available. But grants are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis each financial year, so there's a real risk of the pot running dry if uptake continues to grow. If you're thinking about it, don't sit on it for months.

Which Property Types Are Eligible for the BUS Grant?

Your property must be in England or Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own separate schemes.

Beyond that, most domestic property types qualify. Detached houses, semi-detached, terraced, bungalows, and even some flats can be eligible, though flats come with complications we'll cover shortly. The property must be an existing building, not a new build. If your home was built after a certain date and received other government incentives or was required to include low-carbon heating under building regulations, it won't qualify.

Self-build properties are eligible as long as they've been occupied and have an existing heating system being replaced. A plot of land with no building on it? No.

Do You Need an EPC to Get the £7,500 Grant?

Yes. You must have a valid Energy Performance Certificate with no outstanding recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation. This is the criterion that catches people off guard.

To be precise: if your EPC recommends loft insulation or cavity wall insulation, you need to either install that insulation first or get a professional to confirm it's not appropriate for your property. This doesn't mean your home needs to be rated C or above. Even an E-rated property can qualify, provided those two specific insulation recommendations have been addressed.

If you don't have a current EPC, you'll need to get one done. An EPC assessment typically costs between £60 and £120 and is valid for 10 years. Your installer may be able to recommend a local assessor, or you can find one on the government's EPC register.

Here's a real example. Sarah in Bristol had a 1930s semi with an EPC rating of D. Her certificate recommended loft insulation. She spent around £400 getting her loft topped up to 300mm, got a fresh EPC, and the loft insulation recommendation disappeared. She then qualified for the full £7,500 grant towards her air source heat pump. Total install cost after the grant was about £5,000.

What Heating System Must You Currently Have?

The BUS grant is designed to replace fossil fuel heating. That means your current system should be one of the following:

Gas boiler
Oil boiler
LPG boiler
Electric storage heaters (these also qualify)
Coal or other solid fuel systems
Direct electric heating

If you already have a heat pump and want to replace it with a newer one, you won't qualify. The scheme is about switching away from fossil fuels and high-carbon heating, not upgrading existing low-carbon systems.

One common question: what if your boiler has already broken down and you've got no heating at all? You can still apply, as long as the property previously had a fossil fuel system. Your installer will need to document what was there before.

Who Can Apply? Ownership and Tenancy Rules

You must be the property owner. This applies to owner-occupiers and private landlords alike. If you're a tenant, you can't apply yourself, but your landlord can.

For landlords, there's an important cap. The grant for landlords installing in rented properties is £7,500, the same as for owner-occupiers, following changes made in 2024 that raised it from the previous £5,000 cap.

Social housing landlords, such as housing associations and councils, are not eligible for the BUS grant. They have access to separate funding streams like the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

If you jointly own a property, that's fine. One of the owners just needs to be named on the application. And if you own a second home or holiday let, that property can qualify too, as long as it meets all the other criteria.

Common Reasons Homes Get Disqualified from the BUS Grant

Let's be blunt about the things that trip people up.

New builds. If your home was only recently built and was required under Part L building regulations to have low-carbon heating, it won't qualify. The cutoff generally relates to whether the property had a previous fossil fuel system being replaced.

Previous grant recipients. You can only claim one BUS grant per property. If a previous owner claimed it, the property is excluded, even though you're a different person.

Non-MCS installers. This one is non-negotiable. The installer must be MCS certified (Microgeneration Certification Scheme). If they're not, the application will be rejected outright. Don't let anyone tell you they can "sort it out later." They can't.

Properties in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Different countries, different schemes. Check Home Energy Scotland or the Northern Ireland Energy Advice Service for what's available there.

Outstanding loft or cavity wall insulation. As mentioned above, this is the single most common disqualifying factor, and it's fixable. Get the insulation done, get a new EPC, and you're back in the running.

Honestly, the majority of rejections we hear about come down to either the EPC insulation issue or using an installer who isn't MCS registered. Both are entirely avoidable.

"I'm Worried I'll Go Through the Process and Get Rejected"

This is probably the biggest concern homeowners have. Nobody wants to spend time getting quotes, arranging EPC assessments, and booking surveys only to find out they don't qualify.

Here's the reassuring bit: a good MCS certified installer will check your eligibility before they do anything else. They deal with BUS applications every week and know the criteria inside out. If something is going to be a problem, they'll flag it at the survey stage, not after the install.

You can also do a quick self-check right now. Ask yourself these questions:

Is my property in England or Wales?
Do I own it?
Do I currently heat it with gas, oil, LPG, electric storage heaters, or solid fuel?
Do I have a valid EPC (or am I willing to get one)?
Does my EPC have outstanding loft or cavity wall insulation recommendations that I haven't addressed?

If you answered yes to questions 1 through 4 and no to question 5, you're very likely eligible. That's genuinely it for most people.

And if you're worried about costs beyond the grant, the average air source heat pump installation in 2026 runs between £10,000 and £14,000 before the grant. After the £7,500 BUS grant, you're looking at roughly £2,500 to £6,500 depending on system size and your property's requirements. Some installers offer finance options too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get the BUS grant if I live in a flat?

Flats can qualify, but it depends on the setup. If you own the flat outright (not leasehold with complex shared heating systems) and can install a heat pump that serves only your property, you may be eligible. The trickiest part is often getting freeholder permission and finding a suitable location for the outdoor unit. Speak to an MCS installer who has experience with flats.

Do I need to have cavity wall insulation to qualify for the heat pump grant?

Not necessarily. You only need to address cavity wall insulation if your EPC specifically recommends it. If your property has solid walls or your EPC doesn't flag cavity wall insulation, this won't affect your eligibility at all.

Can I get the £7,500 BUS grant if I have solar panels already?

Yes. Having solar panels won't affect your BUS grant eligibility. In fact, pairing solar PV with a heat pump is a smart move because you can use free electricity from your panels to run the pump during daylight hours, cutting your running costs further.

How long does the BUS grant application take to get approved?

Your installer submits the application through Ofgem's portal, and approval typically comes through within a few weeks. The voucher is then valid for three months, giving your installer time to complete the work. If there are delays, extensions can sometimes be granted.

Can a landlord apply for the BUS grant for a rented property?

Yes. Private landlords can apply for the full £7,500 grant as of 2026. The property must meet all the standard eligibility criteria, and the tenant doesn't need to be involved in the application. Social housing providers are excluded from the BUS grant and should look at alternative funding programmes.

Find a Local MCS Certified Installer

If you've read through this and think your home qualifies, the next step is to get quotes from MCS certified installers in your area. Use our directory at heatpumpinstallerdirectory.co.uk to find vetted, certified installers near you who can confirm your BUS grant eligibility, carry out a property survey, and handle the entire application process on your behalf. Getting three quotes is always a good idea, so you can compare pricing, timescales, and the equipment being proposed.