New government figures released today show a surge in applications for heat pump installations through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, with a 75% jump in February compared to the same month last year. This marks the fourth consecutive month where applications have exceeded 2,000 since grants for heat pumps were increased to £7,500 in October.
The monthly average for applications between November 2023 and February 2024 was 45% higher than before the grant uplift. Up to the end of February, there have now been 35,741 applications and the scheme has paid out close to £127 million in vouchers to customers.
These figures come alongside changes to the BUS criteria that removes the requirement to install cavity wall or loft insulation to use the scheme. The government says this will make it cheaper and easier to install heat pumps, potentially reducing costs by around £2,500 on a semi-detached property.
The government has also published a guide for potential heat pump owners, where industry experts answer frequently asked questions on heat pumps and their installation.
Commenting on the latest BUS figures, Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, says: “This highlights that more people are looking to low carbon heating sources for their home. MCS data backs this – we’ve just seen the highest performing February for heat pumps in scheme history with 4,280 installations.
“The Boiler Upgrade Scheme remains a vital part of making home-grown energy more affordable and accessible and today’s figures highlights that people are continuing to take advantage of government grants to make that switch to greener and cleaner energy.”
Greg Jackson, founder of Octopus Energy, adds: “Heat pumps are about four times more efficient than old fashioned gas boilers but the UK is way behind other countries. Now, thanks to the government scheme, they can be cheaper than boilers and more and more customers are joining the queue to get one. And with Octopus smart tariffs, they’re cheaper to run too. As we ramp up the scale of the industry, costs will continue to fall.”
