Does the Boiler Upgrade Scheme cover solar panels?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a government grant for home energy that isn't means-tested, which is one reason it gets mixed up with solar. It pays towards low-carbon heating, and nothing else. Here is what it does fund, who for, and how it fits alongside solar.
The short answer
No. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays towards heat pumps and biomass boilers for property owners in England and Wales, through MCS-certified installers. It has no category for solar panels or batteries. If you add solar alongside a heat pump, the solar is paid for separately.
Facts checked at source on 2 and 3 November 2026 · Solar PV Panels Grants is an independent explainer from SEO-DONS LTD, not a scheme
How the Boiler Upgrade Scheme works
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives property owners in England and Wales a fixed amount off the cost of replacing fossil-fuel heating with a heat pump or, in some cases, a biomass boiler. Ofgem runs it. The household doesn't apply directly: the installer, who must be certified by MCS, applies for the voucher, and Ofgem then contacts the property owner to confirm consent, which has to be given within 14 days. The amount comes off the installer's price.
The scheme is open to property owners, which includes landlords. Social housing is excluded, as are new-build homes, except qualifying self-builds. Hybrid systems, where a heat pump works alongside a fossil-fuel boiler, are excluded too. Since 28 April 2026, there has been no requirement for a valid energy performance certificate.
The scheme has been extended to 2030, with no vouchers issued after 31 December 2029. Its budget for 2026-27 is £400 million, and vouchers stop if the annual or quarterly budget is used up.
What it pays, and for what
| Technology | Amount | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Air-to-water or ground source heat pump | £7,500 | Most eligible homes |
| Same, off-gas-grid home replacing oil or LPG | £9,000 | Only these homes, from 21 July 2026 to March 2027 |
| Air-to-air heat pump | £2,500 | For homes only; eligible from 28 April 2026 |
| Biomass boiler | £5,000 | Scheme conditions apply |
| Solar panels or batteries | Nothing | Not covered |
Heat batteries became eligible in principle from 22 October 2026, but no amount had been published when we checked.
Why the scheme gets confused with solar funding
Three things cause it. The name is misleading on its own: the scheme doesn't fund boilers, it funds replacing them. Unlike the routes that can include solar, it isn't means-tested, so people looking for a solar grant often find it first. And many installers fit both heat pumps and solar, so the same company's marketing mentions the grant and the panels together.
The result is adverts that put "£7,500 grant" next to a picture of a roof full of panels. The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld complaints about heat pump grant figures shown without their eligibility conditions. If an offer suggests the Boiler Upgrade Scheme helps pay for solar, it is wrong.
How the money works for a combined job
Some households install a heat pump and solar panels at the same time. The scheme's amount comes off the heat pump part of the job only. The solar part is paid for in the usual ways: savings, the Warm Homes Loan Scheme, or for eligible lower-income homes in England, Warm Homes: Local Grant.
Both parts are zero-rated for VAT when installed in a home, until 31 March 2027. Ask for a quote that shows the heat pump, the scheme deduction, and the solar separately, so you can see what each costs and what the voucher covers.
The installer must hold MCS certification for each technology. Heat pumps and solar PV are separate MCS technologies, and batteries are another.
Paying for the panels
Outside the means-tested schemes, the routes for the solar part of a job are the same as for any household: 0% VAT until 31 March 2027, the loan scheme, savings, and export payments once the panels are running. None is a grant, and all are real.
In Scotland, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme doesn't apply. Home Energy Scotland funds heat pumps there, with its own conditions, but not solar PV. See funding by nation.
Checks for a heat pump quote using the scheme
- Is the installer MCS certified for heat pumps? Check on the MCS website.
- Does the quote show the full price, the scheme deduction and what you pay, separately?
- Has the installer explained that Ofgem will contact you to confirm consent?
- If solar is included, is it priced separately, and is the installer also certified for solar PV?
- Is any figure described as "free" or "fully funded"? If you pay anything, it isn't.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme questions
Does the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pay for solar panels?
No. It pays towards heat pumps and biomass boilers. It has no category for solar panels or batteries.
How much is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant?
For eligible property owners in England and Wales, through an MCS-certified installer: £7,500 towards an air-to-water or ground source heat pump, £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump in a home, and £5,000 towards a biomass boiler. A higher £9,000 applies only to off-gas-grid homes replacing oil or LPG heating, until March 2027.
Do I need an EPC for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
No longer. The requirement for a valid EPC was removed by regulations in force from 28 April 2026.
Who applies for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
The installer, who must be MCS certified. Ofgem then asks the property owner to confirm consent, within 14 days.
How long will the scheme run?
It has been extended to 2030, with no vouchers issued after 31 December 2029. Vouchers stop when the annual or quarterly budget is used up.
Where these facts come from
- GOV.UK — Boiler Upgrade Scheme: what you can get — checked 3 November 2026
- House of Commons Library — briefing CBP-9585 on home energy support (PDF) — checked 2 November 2026
- GOV.UK — The Warm Homes Plan (January 2026) — checked 3 November 2026
- MCS — find a certified installer — checked 3 November 2026
- HMRC — VAT Notice 708/6, energy-saving materials — checked 3 November 2026
Not sure which route, if any, fits your home?
Tell us where you live and what you are looking into. Your message reaches SEO-DONS LTD, the publisher of this explainer, and we answer by email. We are not a scheme and cannot approve anything, but we can point you to the right door.
What happens next
- Your message reaches SEO-DONS LTD, which publishes this explainer.
- We reply by email with the scheme or council page that fits, if there is one.
- Any application is between you and that scheme.