Government figures on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) have shown heat pump grant applications soar by 75% year-on-year (YoY) in February.
According to the government, this marks the fourth month there have been more than 2,000 applications since grants for air source and ground source heat pumps increased to £7,500.
This means the monthly average for applications received between November 2023 and February 2024 is 45% higher than the monthly average before the grant uplift. Up to the end of February, there have been 35,741 applications, and the scheme has paid close to £127 million in vouchers to customers.
It is worth noting that BUS applicants rose by 39% in January 2024 compared to the previous year.
Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho said: “No family should be forced to make changes that aren’t right for them. With the right support – like the 50% increase in heat pump grants – families can make their homes warmer and cut their emissions without breaking the bank.
“Figures out today show that our plan is working with applications up by 75% from last year.”
Low-carbon heating support schemes
Heat pumps and other forms of low-carbon heating systems have been steadily growing in popularity across the UK, especially in Wales.
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) confirmed that Welsh homes and businesses installed a record number of heat pumps across 2023, bringing the total number of Welsh properties with renewable energy to over 100,000.
Almost one in ten households in Wales have MCS-certified renewable installations as of 2023, the highest proportion of any other country in the UK.
As well as providing grants for small-scale domestic heat pump installations, the UK government also launched an £80.6 million funding package in January 2024, aiming to provide investment to four low-carbon heating projects.
One notable project received £8 million of government funding to improve 34 inefficient heat networks nationwide by creating a more reliable heating supply and upgraded system for more than 9,000 residents.
More than half the funding (£42.5 million) will be awarded to Exeter Energy Network for building a new network of air-source heat pumps and one of the UK’s largest high-temperature water-source heat pumps.
It is estimated that buildings connected to the network will see an initial reduction of 65-75% in carbon emissions compared to gas heating.
