Ground source heat pumps are a wonderful option for homeowners looking to reduce their carbon footprint and switch to a green heating system that can efficiently heat their home all year round.
With grant support available, offering heavily subsidised (or sometimes even free depending on your circumstances) GSHPs, switching to a greener heating system and enjoying reduced energy bills just makes sense.
Below is a list of the main government grants for GSHPs.
As Eco Grant experts we always do our best to keep our pages updated with the most relevant information, but if you want to check if you qualify for any of the ground source heat pump grants below and you’re unsure about anything, fill out our quick form, and we’ll be in touch to give you the latest advice:
Government grants for ground source heat pumps are available that could mean you get a free or heavily subsidised ground source heat pump. GSHPs are a green heating system capable of warming your home in an energy efficient way, whilst also saving you money on your heating bills each month.
If you’re interested in finding out how ZOA Eco Grants can help you secure the funding you’re entitled to, then fill out our quick form today. It takes just 60 seconds to fill out, and all we need are some basic details.
Once we have the information we need, a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your eligibility further and gather any additional information they may need.
You’ll qualify for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme if you:
In addition, your property is only eligible if:
These requirements need to be met in order to qualify for £7,500 towards the cost of your new ground source heat pump.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is one of the easiest grants you can qualify for, as you essentially just need to be a homeowner in England or Wales to qualify. If you’re thinking of installing a GSHP, contact us today and we’ll help you with your BUS application.
Heat pump funding through the BUS means you could qualify for either a ground source or an air source heat pump – both of which will replace your fossil fuel heating systems in favour of a new heat pump. Which one you qualify for will depend on your property and which will be more effective.
Essentially they’re both examples of a low carbon heating system which offer both heating in winter and cooling in summer, though, so you aren’t missing out by getting one type of heat pump over the other.
You might also qualify for a biomass boiler or natural gas boilers, which again are renewable energy systems, but today the focus is on ground source heat pump installation which you could certainly qualify for following a home survey to ensure a GSHP is the best course of action for your home under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Starting in 2022, ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation) focuses on a whole-house approach when trying to improve energy efficiency. As such, upgrades such as ground source heat pumps are offered to help improve your home’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. To qualify, you’ll need to be considered a low income household or vulnerable to living in an energy inefficient home.
Through ECO4, you could receive a completely free ground source heat pump, however there’s a caveat attached to this. How much grant support you’ll receive under ECO4 is very much dependent on your total household income and the measurements required in order to bring your house up to an acceptable level of energy efficiency.
It’s also important to note that ground source heat pumps are fairly low down the list of priorities for ECO4, in that they’re one of the last energy efficiency measures that will be chosen to help raise your home’s EPC rating. Things like underfloor insulation or cavity wall insulation will always be prioritised here because they’re cheaper to install and are much more likely to positively impact your EPC rating than a GSHP. With that said, GSHPs have, and will continue to be, installed under ECO4 where necessary, so it’s certainly worth knowing the eligibility criteria to see if you might qualify today.
If you are in receipt of Child Benefit, and have an annual household income below the amounts in the table, then you should qualify for support under ECO4.
| Number Of Children | One Parent Household | Two Parent Household |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £19,900 | £27,500 |
| 2 | £24,800 | £32,300 |
| 3 | £29,600 | £37,200 |
| 4+ | £34,500 | £42,000 |
As of right now, government grants for GSHPs are guaranteed to be available until at least 2028. It also isn’t out of the realm of possibility for schemes to be expanded beyond this, or indeed for new grants to begin. It’s the UK government’s legally binding target of reaching Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050, so they’re keen to support households in switching from old fossil fuel run, energy inefficient heating systems, to much greener options. Making your switch to a ground source heat pump today means you can benefit from grant support and help the UK move towards a greener future.
In some instances, you might not have to pay for your GSHP. This is especially true of the ECO4 scheme, which can, in theory, cover the full cost of your GSHP if necessary – although it is unlikely. Either way, if you qualify for a scheme or grant for your new GSHP, you will definitely receive a huge discount thanks to the grant covering part of the cost. In terms of how much your GSHP can save you on your energy bills each year, then you’ll save anywhere between £65 per year and £2200 per year, depending on the heating system you’re changing from. This is based on fuel prices as of October 2023 and are based on Energy Saving Trust estimates.
Ground source heat pumps are an excellent investment for many homeowners because of the range of benefits they bring. Some of the key benefits you’ll notice with a new GSHP installation at home are:
No. The grant support you receive for your GSHP, whether it’s through ECO4, LA Flex, or the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will never need to be repaid. These are not loans. They’re grants that are on offer to homeowners who are looking to switch to a greener way of heating their home.
The two most common heat pumps are air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps, however, there is a third option: water source heat pumps (WSHPs). It’s important to note that currently heat pump grants ONLY cover GSHPs and ASHPs, WSHPs are still relatively niche technology that require more pipework and parts to work, and they’re typically less appropriate for domestic settings as they require a large body of water nearby to work effectively.