England and Wales have made the Boiler Upgrade Scheme simpler and more flexible. From 28 April 2026, air‑to‑air heat pumps become eligible for grants, the need for a valid EPC is removed, and ministers have committed funding through to 2030. New consumer protections also require installers to deduct the voucher value directly from quotes. These changes take legal effect under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2026. (statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk)

What’s new: air‑to‑air (A2A) heat pumps circulate warm air to heat rooms and most models can cool in summer. They are now eligible for a £2,500 discount in homes via the scheme, alongside the existing £7,500 grant for conventional air‑to‑water or ground‑source systems. The government says this widens choice for families; under the new rules A2A eligibility applies to domestic properties, with non‑residential buildings excluded. (hansard.parliament.uk)

For hydronic systems, the core offer continues: up to £7,500 towards air‑to‑water or ground‑source heat pumps, with clear sizing rules now set out. Government policy documents confirm individual plants up to 45 kWth, a combined cap of 70 kWth where multiple heat pumps are installed, and up to 300 kWth for shared ground loops. Systems must be capable of meeting the property’s full space‑heating and hot‑water demand, with non‑fossil supplementary appliances permitted where needed. (gov.uk)

A major barrier has been lifted. A valid EPC is no longer a condition to access the scheme. If a property already has one, Ofgem will still ask for the certificate number; if not, the scheme will accept alternative evidence-including details from an expired EPC-so installations aren’t held up by admin. Ofgem’s guidance will set out exactly what paperwork it will accept. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

Consumer protections tighten too. Installers must show the BUS deduction in the quote and are barred from asking households to front this amount unless an application is refused or a voucher is revoked. That makes the cashflow clearer: you pay the price after the grant, not before. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

Why it matters: heating buildings remains one of the UK’s biggest emissions sources. Provisional government figures show buildings and product uses accounted for around a fifth of UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2024. The Climate Change Committee reports heat‑pump uptake is rising but still needs to accelerate, while the Warm Homes Plan targets more than 450,000 installations a year by 2030. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

Who gains first: households with electric heating, hard‑to‑insulate homes, flats and smaller properties now have a lower‑cost route via A2A that doesn’t require radiators or underfloor circuits. Households wanting one system for space heat and hot water will still look to air‑to‑water or ground‑source. For shops and offices, A2A is outside BUS eligibility, but hydronic heat pumps remain in scope. (gov.uk)

How to use the new rules: from 28 April, ask an MCS‑certified installer to complete a whole‑house heat‑loss calculation, size the heat pump to meet your space‑heating demand, and show the BUS deduction on the quote. If you don’t have a current EPC, line up whatever alternative evidence your installer needs for the Ofgem application, and only commission works once the voucher is issued. (gov.uk)

Key facts to bookmark: the amendment was signed on 19 March, laid before Parliament on 1 April and comes into force on 28 April 2026. It also updates the scheme’s definition of “urban area” to align with the Office for National Statistics 2021 rural‑urban classification, ensuring decisions use the latest geography. (statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk)

Policy signal: ministers have committed to fund the scheme through 2030 and to broaden eligible technologies over time, including heat batteries. With the legal changes now in place, delivery is the test: more certified installers, clear guidance and honest quotes. For households, the path to clean heat is simpler; for small businesses, hydronic options remain the way in. (hansard.parliament.uk)