Boiler Upgrade Scheme & grants in Macclesfield
In short
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grant funding towards air source and ground source heat pump installations in England and Wales. The grant is applied for by the installer, not the homeowner, and the installation must be MCS certified — so the choice of installer determines eligibility.
Also called: heat pump grant · BUS grant · government heat pump funding · renewable heating grants
The mechanics are worth understanding because they differ from most grants. The homeowner does not apply. An MCS-certified installer applies on your behalf, and the grant value is deducted from the quoted price rather than paid to you afterwards. So the first eligibility question is whether your installer is MCS certified and registered with the scheme.
The property conditions are straightforward in principle: it must be in England or Wales, have a valid EPC, and the heat pump must replace a fossil fuel heating system. Insulation recommendations on the EPC may need addressing first. Grant values and the scheme's end date have changed since it launched, so the current terms should be checked at the point you are deciding rather than taken from any article — including this one.
There is a strong local case for pursuing it in the off-grid villages. DESNZ figures put 40.7% of properties in the Gawsworth and Macclesfield Forest area with no gas connection, against 11.6% across Cheshire East. Those households are heating with oil or LPG, where a heat pump's running cost advantage is real rather than marginal, and where the grant closes much of the installation cost gap.
MCS certification is doing two jobs at once here. It is the gateway to the funding, and it is also a design discipline — the heat loss calculation, the emitter schedule, the performance estimate and the handover documentation are all part of the standard. That is exactly the paperwork that distinguishes a heat pump installation that works from one that was sized off the old boiler's badge.
Other support may apply depending on circumstances — energy company obligations, local authority schemes through Cheshire East, and support for particular household circumstances. It is worth asking what is currently available rather than assuming the headline scheme is the only route.
What the job covers
- Eligibility assessment against current scheme rules
- MCS-certified design and installation
- Grant application submitted by the installer on your behalf
- EPC and insulation recommendation guidance
- Full MCS documentation and performance estimate
- Advice on other funding routes that may apply
What it costs
We don't publish a price for this yet, because a number pulled out of the air is worse than no number at all — your plumber has to honour it. You'll get a firm price for your actual job when they ring you back, before any work starts. The quote itself is free and there's no obligation either way.
Common questions
Do I apply for the grant myself?
No. Your MCS-certified installer applies on your behalf and the value is deducted from the price you pay. That makes the installer's certification the first thing to check.
How much is the grant?
Values and scheme end dates have changed since the scheme launched, so check the current figure at the point you are deciding. Any number quoted in an article may be out of date by the time you read it.
Need this doing in Macclesfield?
Tell us the job and it goes straight to our local plumber — one call back, usually the same day. Free quote, no obligation.