Boiler Upgrade Scheme in Leeds & West Yorkshire

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a UK government grant administered by Ofgem. It pays a fixed sum towards the cost of replacing a fossil-fuel heating system — gas, oil, LPG or direct electric — with a heat pump or biomass boiler. It was launched in 2022 and has been extended through 2028.

The scheme’s aim is straightforward: heat pumps and biomass boilers cut a home’s carbon emissions sharply compared to a gas or oil boiler, but they cost more upfront. The grant closes that gap. For most Leeds and West Yorkshire homes installing an air source heat pump, the grant brings the out-of-pocket cost down to a level closer to a high-end gas boiler replacement than to the headline heat pump cost.

The scheme covers Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees, Calderdale and the rest of England. Wales is also covered. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own equivalent schemes (the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan in Scotland).

The grant amounts are fixed:

Source: gov.uk — what you can get.

The grant is paid to your installer, who deducts it from your invoice. You pay the remainder. There is no separate claim to make and no money passes through your bank account — the only number that matters to you is the final price on the installer’s quote.

To qualify, all of the following need to be true:

• You own the property — whether you live in it, rent it out, or own it as a second home. Small non-domestic properties (such as small business premises) can also qualify, with some restrictions.
• The property is in England or Wales.
• The heating system being replaced is a fossil-fuel system — mains gas, oil, LPG, or direct electric heating. Houses already on a heat pump or other renewable heating cannot apply for a like-for-like replacement.
• The property has a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) issued within the last 10 years, with no outstanding recommendations to install loft insulation or cavity wall insulation. If your EPC has those recommendations, they need to be addressed first — or you may qualify for an exemption (for example, listed buildings).
• The new heating system is installed by an MCS-certified installer who is willing to apply for the grant on your behalf.

The process is designed so that the installer does the paperwork. You typically follow these steps:

1. Check your EPC. Find it on the EPC register and confirm there are no outstanding insulation recommendations (or arrange any that are outstanding).
2. Get quotes from MCS-certified installers. Aim for two or three quotes. We list MCS-certified heat pump installers covering Leeds and West Yorkshire below.
3. Choose your installer and agree the quote. The grant figure should be clearly shown as a deduction on the quote. If it isn’t, ask.
4. Installer applies via Ofgem. Your installer submits the application on your behalf. You don’t complete an Ofgem form yourself.
5. Installation goes ahead. You pay the discounted figure when the work is done.

For the authoritative application detail, see the official how to apply page on gov.uk.

A heat pump installation is rarely a simple boiler-swap. Some things specific to Leeds and West Yorkshire housing that come up often:

• Solid-wall homes. A large share of Leeds’s housing stock is solid-walled (stone or brick), particularly in older terraces in Burley, Hyde Park, Holbeck, central Bradford, and much of Calderdale. Without good insulation, a heat pump has to work harder. Expect a heat-loss calculation to be part of the install, and don’t be surprised if the installer recommends insulation work first.
• Conservation areas and listed buildings. Areas like Headingley, Roundhay and Saltaire have planning restrictions that can affect outdoor unit siting. Listed buildings may qualify for the EPC exemption. Your installer should be familiar with this; if they aren’t, look for one who has heritage experience.
• Terraced houses with no rear access. The outdoor unit needs sensible siting and clear airflow. In dense terraced rows this can be a real constraint. Talk through location and noise impact on neighbours before signing.
• Hot-water cylinder space. Heat pumps generally need a hot-water cylinder. In smaller terraces and flats with no airing cupboard, this needs planning into the design.