There is a government grant for heat pumps in England and Wales, and the question we are asked most often is whether it covers air conditioning. Usually it does not, and the reason is worth understanding.
What the grant is
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme contributes towards replacing a fossil-fuel heating system with a heat pump. The contribution depends on the technology, and the figures change — the current ones are on gov.uk, which is the only place worth trusting for them.
Why air conditioning usually falls outside it
The scheme is about heating, and specifically about replacing a boiler. Most air conditioning is air-to-air: it moves heat between the air inside and the air outside, cooling in summer and heating in winter, and it does not touch your hot water or your radiators. That is not what the scheme was written for.
The systems the grant is aimed at are air-to-water — they heat water, feed radiators or underfloor pipes, and replace the boiler outright. They also do not cool, which is generally the thing people came to us about.
When it might apply
If you are replacing your heating system as well as adding cooling, there may be a route through. It depends on what you are installing and what you are removing, and it is a question for your installer rather than for us.
What we will never tell you
That you are eligible. We will tell you that you may be, and flag the project so it only ever reaches an installer holding the certification the grant requires. Confirming eligibility, and claiming it, is your installer’s job — they apply on your behalf, and they are the ones certified to do so.
Anybody who tells you with certainty that you qualify, before an installer has looked at your house, is guessing.