Air Source Heat Pump

HooryHenry

I have an Air Source Heat Pump installed in my house.

We are moving in next week.

I did not apply for a grant under the BUS scheme from the Govt.

In a nut-shell, the project is a self-build and I pay the main contractor monthly. 

He has appointed a non-MCS registered supplier to undertake the mechanical & plumbing services at a cost of over £50k.

I have installed a 14kW Mitsubishi heat pump and under-floor heating.

My two questions are:-

1) Is there any way I can apply in retrospect for the grant.

2) Can the main contractor apply for the grant or does it have to be in my individual name?

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

FreeBear

I believe the answer is no on two counts.

1) The grant is not available for new builds as it is there to encourage home owners to replace old fossil fuel heating systems.

2) You have to use an MCS registered installer.

HooryHenry

Typical Govt grant.

They are unhappy about the take-up of heat pumps then make it impossible to reclaim the benefit.

Has anyone received such a grant?

DougMLancs

I claimed mine last year and 39,000 BUS Grant vouchers were issued in June 2024 alone so yes. I can see why they didn’t include new build in this scheme as they need to target the help to where it’s most needed most but it would be good to see some sort of incentive in this space. 

FreeBear

HooryHenry said:

Typical Govt grant.

They are unhappy about the take-up of heat pumps then make it impossible to reclaim the benefit.

Has anyone received such a grant?

If you are building your own house from the ground up, installation of a heating system will be small part of the budget. The boiler upgrade grant is for people replacing fossil fuel heating, not new builds.

matt_drummer

HooryHenry said:

Typical Govt grant.

They are unhappy about the take-up of heat pumps then make it impossible to reclaim the benefit.

Has anyone received such a grant?

The grant is easy to claim as long as you meet the criteria.

The grant is there to encourage people to replace functioning heating systems with a heat pump.

The difference here is that you are not replacing a functioning heating system, you are buying one for the first time.

You would have to buy and install a heating system whatever you chose, why should you get a grant for that?

The grant is to accelerate the change from fossil fuels to cleaner heating systems, they want people to take out what they currently have even if it doesn't actually need replacing yet.

Like me, my gas boiler was only three years old, but I wanted to stop burning stuff. The grant of £5,000 made it easier for me to do that when I didn't actually need to do it.