Under BUS, householders and small businesses in England and Wales  get access to grants of up to £6,000 towards the cost of replacing traditional fossil fuel boilers with more efficient, low carbon heating technologies. These include air and ground source heat pumps and, in some cases, biomass boilers.

Today (23 May) marks the first day under the scheme that heating engineers are able to apply to claim vouchers for applicable installations. The scheme initially launched on 1 April, and installers are now able to claim BUS funding from any applicable installations undertaken since that date.

BEIS has produced a short guide outlining what installers need to do access the scheme:

• Sign up as a certified installer with Ofgem here 
  • Download an application form and provide your business address, bank details, MCS certification, and proof of ID. Once registered you will not have to do this process again.
• Property owner contacts you about carrying out work
  • You agree a quote for installation. Make sure your quote deducts the grant amount from the total cost.
• You apply for a grant on behalf of your customer
  • The scheme is installer-led meaning you have greater control of timeframes. You apply to Ofgem for a voucher for the grant, and your customer will provide consent to Ofgem for you to act on their behalf.  When the work is complete, you send in your redemption application and the grant will be paid to you.

Commenting on the launch, Phil Hurley, Chair of the Heat Pump Association, said: “The Heat Pump Association welcomes the launch of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and the financial support it will provide to those who opt for a heat pump. An upfront financial incentive like this will not just help to kickstart the industry by making the technology more accessible but will also provide heating installers with the confidence boost they need to upskill.

"With the capacity to train 40,000 installers each year, we have made huge strides as an industry to improve the heat pump training pathway, and we are hopeful that this scheme will inspire the workforce to take up the opportunities available.

“Heat pumps represent a readily available and long term solution to fossil fuel heating and the scheme is a big step towards kickstarting the mass rollout needed to grow the sector and put the UK economy on track to meet net-zero.”