Servicing and Faults · 3 lessons
Heat pump grants and MCS, nation by nation
Grant support depends on where the home is. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements.
England and Wales: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Read on GOV.UK on 31 October 2026: £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump, and until March 2027 an extra £1,500 for homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas connection. The owner must be replacing fossil fuel heating; hybrids and most new builds aren't covered. An MCS certified installer applies on the owner's behalf.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not cover Scotland or Northern Ireland. In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland handles grants and interest-free loans. In Northern Ireland, GOV.UK points to local energy saving grants instead. Schemes change, so check the current one before quoting.
What MCS is
MCS is a quality mark for small-scale renewable systems, with standards for products and for how certified installers design and fit them: MIS 3005-D for design and MIS 3005-I for installation. It certifies businesses.
What MCS isn't
MCS certification is not a legal licence to fit heat pumps, and it doesn't replace planning, building regulations, electrical or refrigerant duties. A personal training award doesn't give a business MCS status, and our lessons don't give anyone MCS status either.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting that the Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not cover Scotland or Northern Ireland.
- Treating MCS certification as a legal permission to install.
- Assuming a training certificate makes a business MCS certified.
The lessons this guide comes from
- Grants by nation
- What MCS is and is not
- Working as an installer
Keep learning
Sources
Sources checked 31 October 2026. Guidance, grants and official pages can change.
- Government guidance: Apply for the Boiler Upgrade SchemeThe scheme covers England and Wales; the grant amounts; the extra off-gas amount until March 2027; who is eligible; that an MCS certified installer applies; and where Scotland and Northern Ireland point instead.
- Home Energy Scotland: Heat pumpsWhere homes in Scotland look for heat pump grant and loan support.
- MCS: Our roleMCS as a quality mark for small-scale renewable systems, with product and installation standards for certified installers.
- Government guidance: Competent person schemesThe current competent person schemes in England, including the scheme type for heat pump systems.