HVAC & LOW CARBON HEATING


WHAT’S THE NEXT PHASE OF THE BOILER UPGRADE SCHEME?


zero-interest Warm Homes Loans could make it easier for households to manage the remaining upfront cost after grant support. Together, these measures should help make the transition more accessible, although it will be important to see whether further support follows at the Budget. This combination of technology, finance and


smarter energy use also changes the conversation the industry needs to have with customers. They do not need to become experts in kilowatt-hours or system design - they simply need trusted advice on what will work in their property, what it will cost and what the practical benefits will be.


TURNING DEMAND INTO DELIVERY The continued growth in the schemes interest also


underlines the next challenge: installer capacity. A heat pump installation is a more complex


Low-carbon heating can become part of a home that uses energy more intelligently


July’s record application numbers showed that consumer interest


in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is continuing to build. So what next? Gav Murray, home heating director at Hive, comments


I


t has been a strong year for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, with application numbers continuing


to show growing interest in low-carbon heating across England and Wales. That momentum was particularly clear in July,


which saw record application numbers for the scheme. Applications reached around 9,000, the highest monthly figure in the scheme’s history, with the recent uplift in support for homes moving away from oil and LPG thought helping to drive interest. It’s a really encouraging sign and suggests more


households are actively considering alternatives to traditional fossil-fuel heating, helped by a combination of stronger financial support, broader technology choice and growing awareness of what low-carbon heating can deliver in practice.


A SCHEME EVOLVING WITH DEMAND The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has been one of the


most important levers for reducing the upfront cost of the transition. The £7,500 grant remains a significant contribution towards qualifying heat pump installations, while the increase to £9,000 for eligible off-gas-grid homes replacing oil or LPG heating, introduced in July, is a particularly welcome development. For rural households, the economics of oil and


LPG can be volatile, so giving more support to move to a heat pump targets the grant where the case for change can be especially compelling. The scheme has also broadened to support a wider range of low-carbon heating technologies, giving installers more options to match the solution to the property rather than treating every home as the same.


www.essmag.co.uk That flexibility is important because Britain’s


housing stock is diverse, and the route to low- carbon heating isn’t one-size-fits-all. Different property types, heating systems and customer needs will require different approaches, and increasing the range of supported technologies can help more households find a viable route to decarbonising their heating.


THE BENEFITS BEYOND THE GRANT The case for low-carbon heating isn’t just an


environmental one, though. For consumers, the strongest argument is often more immediate, which is that it offers the potential to reduce exposure to volatile fossil-fuel costs, as well as offering greater comfort and control. Heat pumps are highly efficient because they


move heat rather than generate it by burning fuel. Increasingly, they should be viewed as part of a wider home energy system rather than simply as a like-for-like boiler replacement. Combined with smart controls, solar, battery storage and flexible tariffs, low-carbon heating can become part of a home that uses energy more intelligently. Batteries, in particular, can help households


store cheaper or self-generated electricity for use later, giving them greater control over when they draw energy from the grid and helping to build greater energy independence. The wider policy landscape is also starting to


support the transition. The temporary removal of VAT on domestic electricity from October should help make heat pumps more affordable to run, while the expected introduction of low- and


job than replacing a boiler, and the sector needs enough trained people to meet demand as it grows. Installers are willing to upskill, but businesses need confidence that volumes will remain strong before they invest significantly in recruitment, training and new capabilities. That is why consistency really matters. Grants


can stimulate demand, but it’s sustained policy signals that give the supply chain confidence to really scale. Government, manufacturers, energy companies and training providers all have a role in making the route into low-carbon heating simpler for installers as well as end users. We also need to make the day-to-day job easier,


both to bring more installers into low-carbon heating and enable existing installers to improve productivity. Initiatives such as the Hive Installer Club, which gives installers access to installation support, training resources and additional help, are one example of how the industry can reduce friction and help tradespeople build confidence as the home energy market evolves.


THE PATH FORWARD The progress made by the Boiler Upgrade


Scheme this year is a positive signal, with July’s record application numbers showing that consumer interest is continuing to build. But applications are only the start. The real measure of success is whether households can move smoothly from interest, to advice, to installation, and then have a system that performs well. With stronger grant support, new financing


options and measures that can help reduce running costs, more of the pieces are falling into place. The next phase is about matching that demand with choice, trusted guidance and a skilled installer base. If industry and government can deliver those


things consistently, low-carbon heating can move from an alternative considered by early adopters to a normal part of upgrading Britain’s homes.


Hive www.hivehome.com ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Autumn 2026 23


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