A heat pump, fully installed — £7,500 off.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a government grant for swapping an oil, gas, electric or LPG system for a heat pump or biomass boiler. Decarbr is an introducer — we don't install, we match you to MCS-certified installers who do the work and apply to Ofgem on your behalf. The grant comes off your invoice automatically.
See your grant & three installer quotes.
We'll introduce you to three MCS-certified installers in your area. They quote — you pick.
We introduce. Installers install. Ofgem funds.
The BUS rules are strict about who does what. We're not a contractor and we don't touch your grant money — the MCS-certified installer you choose applies to Ofgem, and the grant is deducted from your invoice before you pay.
Decarbr
- Matches you to 3 vetted MCS-certified installers
- Pre-screens your property for BUS eligibility signals
- Keeps the installers accountable on price & timing
- Holds your money or applies for the grant
- Installs or commissions the system
Your installer
- Quotes, surveys, and designs the system
- Applies to Ofgem for the grant on your behalf
- Deducts the £7,500 from your invoice directly
- Commissions within 120 days of the application
- Must be MCS certified — no exceptions
Ofgem
- Receives and validates the grant application
- Confirms you have authorised the installer
- May phone or visit to spot-check the install
- Pays the grant directly to the installer
- You never pay Ofgem. Ofgem never pays you
Four rules that decide it.
We check all four before introducing you — there's no point wasting an installer's time (or yours) if one of them rules you out.
You own the property
Homeowner, landlord, or second-home owner. Social housing is not eligible.
Replacing a fossil-fuel system
Oil, mains gas, LPG, or electric heating. You cannot use BUS to replace an existing low-carbon system.
You have a valid EPC
EPCs last 10 years. If yours has lapsed, we'll arrange a new one as part of the process.
In England or Wales
Scotland has its own Home Energy Scotland loan. Northern Ireland's scheme has closed.
- — Most new-build properties — including any still being built by a developer
- — Social housing
- — Properties that have already received government funding for a heat pump or biomass boiler
- — Hybrid systems (e.g. gas boiler + air source heat pump)
Moved into a finished new build with a gas boiler? You may still qualify — tell us and we'll check.
Biomass boilers have extra rules.
A biomass grant only makes sense for a specific kind of home — rural, off-grid, and often currently on oil or LPG. All four conditions below must be true.
Off the gas grid
Your property is not connected to the mains gas network.
Rural location
Defined by Ofgem's rural property guidance — mostly outside urban areas.
Emissions-certified boiler
The installer must fit a model with a valid emissions certificate.
Not a self-build
You cannot fit a biomass boiler in a self-build property under BUS.
Three to four weeks, typically.
The 120-day install clock starts when the installer applies for the grant — so installers only apply when they're confident they can deliver on time. We build that buffer in.
Quick match on Decarbr
Tell us your postcode and current fuel. We pick three MCS-certified installers in your area.
Installer quotes & survey
Each installer contacts you, surveys the property, and sends a fixed quote — grant pre-deducted.
Pick one & sign
You choose your installer. They confirm your eligibility and get your written authorisation.
Installer applies to Ofgem
The installer — not you, not Decarbr — submits the grant application on the Ofgem portal.
Install within 120 days
Your system has to be installed and commissioned within 120 days of the application or the grant is voided.
What to expect from Ofgem.
Ofgem administers the scheme end-to-end. You'll hear from them at least once — usually to confirm you've authorised the installer.
Ofgem confirms your authorisation
They contact you to verify that your chosen installer is acting on your behalf. A short phone call or email.
Possible spot checks
Ofgem may phone or visit the property to check the install. MCS may do the same — they run quality audits on a sample of jobs.
Grant deducted at invoice
The £7,500 (or £5,000 for biomass) comes off the installer's final invoice. You pay the balance, not the whole amount.
The honest answers.
Can't find what you're after? Our BUS team answers within a working day.
Talk to a BUS advisorNo. The grant is paid by Ofgem directly to your installer and shown as a line-item discount on your invoice. Decarbr is paid a referral fee by the installer network when a job completes — it doesn't come out of your grant or inflate your quote. We publish the same fee structure for every installer, so there's no incentive for us to steer you toward one over another.
Ofgem's rules require the MCS-certified installer to apply — they're the ones certifying the work and accepting responsibility for it. We're an introducer, not an installer, so we couldn't apply even if we wanted to. Your installer submits the application, and Ofgem contacts you to confirm you've authorised it.
You need a valid EPC for your installer to apply. Most UK properties already have one — they last 10 years. If yours has expired or doesn't exist, the survey visit will usually include a new assessment, and the cost is rolled into the quote.
Yes. BUS is open to landlords for second homes and properties you rent out to tenants. You (as the owner) must be the applicant. We'll introduce you to installers used to working around tenants and access arrangements.
Every installer in our network is independently verified on the MCS Installer Database before we introduce them. We re-check certifications quarterly. You can verify any installer yourself at certificate.mcscertified.com — we'll include the installer's MCS number in every quote.
The grant is voided and the money goes back into the scheme pot. This is why timing matters: installers only submit the BUS application once they have a realistic install date booked. If there's a serious delay (e.g. supply chain), a replacement application can be made, but it's the installer's call, not yours.
Not another grant for the same heat pump or biomass boiler — one piece of government funding per heating system. But BUS stacks fine with separate schemes for different measures, e.g. ECO4 insulation or the Great British Insulation Scheme. Ask us and we'll check what else you qualify for.
Not eligible. BUS will not fund a system that keeps any fossil-fuel component — so a gas boiler paired with an air-source heat pump is ruled out. The heat pump has to be the primary heating system, with the old boiler fully removed.
Other schemes worth checking.
Get matched to MCS installers.
You'll have three fixed-price quotes inside two weeks — with the £7,500 BUS grant already deducted.