Boiler Upgrade Scheme launch: what installers need to know
16th March 2022
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will launch the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) on Monday 23 May 2022.
Installers will be able to make voucher applications on this date. Please note that – although the voucher application system opens on 23 May 2022 – installations commissioned from 1 April 2022 will be eligible to apply for the BUS.
The portal for installers to register on the system will open on Monday 11 April 2022. This will be supported by a launch event and installer forum to gather feedback, both organised by the scheme administrator, Ofgem.
MCS will share a link to the portal and event details with our installers when available.
We will issue further information on the BUS when we receive it from BEIS and Ofgem. Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn to be updated.
What is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
A new, flat, upfront grant, the BUS comprises £450million of total support over a three-year period.
Announced in the government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy, the BUS follows the Domestic Renewable Heating Incentive (DRHI), which closes at midnight on 31 March 2022. We have explained the difference between the BUS and DRHI on our website.
The BUS allows consumers to apply for a one-off grant payment of:
- £5,000 towards the cost of an air-source heat pump (ASHP) or biomass installation
- or £6,000 towards the cost of a ground-source heat pump (GSHP) installation.
Please be aware that biomass installations are only supported in limited circumstances, and solar thermal is excluded from the scheme.
Installers will be required to lead the voucher application on behalf of the consumer.
Homes and small non-domestic buildings on and off the gas grid, including owner-occupiers, private landlords and custom-builds, are eligible for the BUS. New buildings and social housing will not be eligible for support. The consumer must have an EPC issued within the last 10 years to qualify.
More details on the BUS can be found here.