Yes. If your home is heated by a mains gas boiler, you can get the standard £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant towards an air source or ground source heat pump. Replacing a gas boiler is exactly what the scheme was set up to pay for.

The confusion comes from a second, larger figure you may have seen advertised. That one genuinely does exclude homes on mains gas — and it is worth understanding why, because it is the single most common misunderstanding we hear from homeowners considering a heat pump.

The short version

What the government actually says

The scheme exists to help replace fossil fuel heating, and GOV.UK is explicit that gas is part of that definition. To be eligible you must be:

“replacing fossil fuel heating systems — such as oil, gas, electric or LPG (liquefied petroleum gas)”
— GOV.UK, Boiler Upgrade Scheme: check if you're eligible

Gas is named in the list. There is nothing in the eligibility rules that treats a mains gas home as a second-class applicant for the standard grant.

The grant amounts

GOV.UK sets out the standard amounts as:

The air-to-air grant is newer than most people realise — air-to-air heat pumps became eligible when the scheme rules changed on 28 April 2026. They heat rooms by blowing warm air rather than feeding radiators and a hot water cylinder, so they suit some properties and not others.

So where does “£9,000” come from?

You will see heat pumps advertised with a £9,000 grant. That figure is real, but it has conditions that most mains gas homes cannot meet. In GOV.UK's words:

“Until March 2027, you can get an additional £1,500 towards an air source heat pump or ground source heat pump if both” your property is heated by oil or LPG, and you do not have a mains gas connection at the property.
— GOV.UK, Boiler Upgrade Scheme: what you can get

So £7,500 plus the additional £1,500 makes £9,000 — but only for homes that are off the gas grid and currently burning oil or LPG. Both conditions have to be true. If you have a mains gas connection, the additional £1,500 does not apply to you, whatever else is true about your property.

That is why an advert quoting £9,000 is often accurate and still misleading for the person reading it. If a company quotes you £9,000 and you are on mains gas, ask them to show you which condition you meet.

You can't keep the gas boiler as a backup

This is the part that catches mains gas homeowners out most often. It is natural to want the reassurance of keeping the boiler for the coldest days. The scheme does not fund that arrangement:

“You cannot get a grant for a hybrid heat pump system (for example a combination of gas boiler and air source heat pump).”

The grant pays for the heat pump to replace your gas boiler as your heating system, not to sit alongside it. A properly sized and designed heat pump is intended to heat the whole house on its own through the winter, which is why the survey and heat loss calculation matter so much.

You no longer need an EPC

Until spring 2026, a valid Energy Performance Certificate was a condition of the grant, and a missing or expired one was one of the most common reasons applications stalled. That has changed.

Ofgem, which runs the scheme, confirms in its installer guidance published on 28 April 2026 that an EPC is no longer a standing eligibility requirement. Where your property does have a valid EPC, your installer gives the certificate number with the application. Where it does not, the installer supplies other evidence instead — a recent utility bill, for example.

If you have read elsewhere that you need an EPC first, that advice was correct until April 2026 and is not correct now.

The other eligibility conditions

Being on mains gas does not affect any of these. You need to:

And the scheme does not cover:

The scheme is not means-tested. Your income makes no difference; eligibility is about the property.

How long is the grant available?

Ofgem's guidance states that as of 28 April 2026, the scheme has been extended to 2030. The additional £1,500 for oil and LPG homes is separate and time-limited, running until March 2027 according to GOV.UK.

Budgets can change and schemes can be revised, so treat any date as the position today rather than a guarantee.

What you will actually pay

The grant is a fixed contribution towards the cost of the heat pump and its installation. It does not cover the whole job, and there will be a balance to pay. How large that balance is depends on the size of system your home needs, whether your radiators and pipework can work at the lower flow temperatures a heat pump runs at, whether you need a new hot water cylinder, and any other work the survey identifies.

Any installer should be able to give you that balance in writing, after a heat loss survey, before you commit to anything. If someone offers you a figure without surveying the property, treat it with caution.

What this means if you're on mains gas

You are in the group the scheme was designed for. The number that applies to you is £7,500, not £9,000; the grant has to replace your boiler rather than back it up; and you do not need to sort out an EPC first. Everything else comes down to whether a heat pump suits your particular home — which is a question for a proper survey, not an advert.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant if I'm on mains gas?
Yes. GOV.UK lists gas among the fossil fuel heating systems the scheme exists to replace, alongside oil, electric and LPG. A home heated by a mains gas boiler can get the standard £7,500 grant towards an air source or ground source heat pump.
Why do some companies advertise a £9,000 heat pump grant?
Because £7,500 plus an additional £1,500 comes to £9,000. But GOV.UK states the additional £1,500 is only available until March 2027 where both conditions are met: the property is heated by oil or LPG, and it does not have a mains gas connection. A home on mains gas does not qualify for the additional amount.
Can I keep my gas boiler as a backup and still get the grant?
No. GOV.UK states that you cannot get a grant for a hybrid heat pump system, giving the example of a combination of a gas boiler and an air source heat pump. The grant is for a heat pump that replaces your existing fossil fuel heating system.
Do I need an EPC to apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
Not any more. Ofgem's installer guidance published on 28 April 2026 confirms an EPC is no longer a standing eligibility requirement. Where a property has a valid EPC, the installer provides the certificate number with the application; where it does not, the installer supplies alternative evidence such as a recent utility bill.
How much is the grant for an air-to-air heat pump?
£2,500, according to GOV.UK. Air-to-air heat pumps became eligible for the scheme when the rules changed on 28 April 2026. Air source and ground source heat pumps remain at £7,500, and biomass boilers at £5,000 in limited circumstances.
Is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme means-tested?
No. Your income does not affect eligibility. You need to own the property — which can include a second home or a property you let to tenants — in England or Wales, be replacing a fossil fuel heating system, and use an MCS-certified installer.
How long will the Boiler Upgrade Scheme run?
Ofgem's guidance states that as of 28 April 2026, the scheme has been extended to 2030. The additional £1,500 for oil and LPG homes without a mains gas connection is time-limited and runs until March 2027, according to GOV.UK. Scheme details can change, so check the current position before relying on any date.
Will the grant cover the whole cost of a heat pump?
No. The grant is a fixed contribution and there will be a balance to pay. The size of that balance depends on the system your home needs, whether your radiators and pipework suit a heat pump's lower flow temperatures, whether a new hot water cylinder is required, and any other work identified at survey. You should get the balance in writing before committing.