Air conditioning added to BUS scheme
18th November 2025
UK: The UK government has expanded the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to include ATA air conditioning units.
The current Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which offers grants of £7,500 off the cost of installing an air-source or ground-source heat pump, has been expanded to offer a £2,500 discount off the cost of installing an air-to-air heat pump providing heating and cooling.
Martin McCluskey, minister for energy consumers, declared air-to-air heat pumps as offering “the best of both worlds” by keeping people warm in winter and cool in summer.
“With heat pumps more popular than ever, we want to make sure as many people as possible can benefit, especially those in flats or small homes without central heating, so they have greater choice when upgrading their property.”
The Heat Pump Association welcomed the move. Chief executive Charlotte Lee said: “Since its launch, the BUS has played a vital role in accelerating the transition to low-carbon heating, giving thousands of households access to clean, efficient technologies and helping to build the UK supply chain.”
The announcement follows pressure from industry groups. In July, the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) called for an urgent rethink on residential cooling and ventilation in what it described as an “overheating crisis”.
It insisted that the rapid improvement in heat pump technology provided an opportunity to cool more homes raised the possibility of a revision of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
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BESA calls for BUS upgrade to include cooling – 25 July 2025
UK: The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has called for a revision of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to include incentives for heat pumps which provide both heating and cooling. Read more…
