A new £450 million ‘Boiler Upgrade Scheme’ has been announced by government as part of its long-awaited Heat and Buildings Strategy.
It confirmed last night that new grants of £5,000 will be available from April 2022 to encourage homeowners to install low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps.
The government’s £450 million Boiler Upgrade Scheme is part of around £4bn funding for decarbonising heat and buildings in the next three years.
“The government and industry will also work together to help meet the aim of heat pumps costing the same to buy and run as fossil fuel boilers by 2030, with big cost reductions of between a quarter and a half by 2025 expected as the market expands and technology develops,” it stated.
A target has also been made for all new heating systems installed in UK homes by 2035 to be “either using low-carbon technologies, such as electric heat pumps, or supporting new technologies like hydrogen-ready boilers”.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “As we clean up the way we heat our homes over the next decade, we are backing our brilliant innovators to make clean technology like heat pumps as cheap to buy and run as gas boilers – supporting thousands of green jobs.
“Our new grants will help homeowners make the switch sooner, without costing them extra, so that going green is the better choice when their boiler needs an upgrade.”
A decision on the potential role for hydrogen in heating buildings was to be made by 2026, a statement added.