If a property in your portfolio failed the Boiler Upgrade Scheme's eligibility test a year or two ago, it's worth checking again. The rule that most often blocked landlords has been removed.
What changed on 28 April 2026
A statutory instrument (SI 2026/390) brought in four changes to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) for England and Wales:
- The EPC requirement was removed. Previously, a property needed a valid EPC issued within the last 10 years with no outstanding insulation recommendation — a loft or cavity wall insulation flag on the certificate could block the whole application. That block is gone. Where a valid EPC exists it's still used as supporting evidence, but it's no longer a hard gate.
- The scheme was extended to March 2030, giving landlords a much longer runway to plan heating upgrades around than the scheme's earlier, shorter extensions suggested.
- Air-to-air heat pumps became eligible, at a £2,500 grant — a new category alongside the existing technologies.
- The installer definition was formally tied to MCS certification, tightening up who can deliver funded work.
Why the EPC change is the one that matters most
For landlords, this was the single biggest practical barrier. A property with cavity walls that hadn't been filled, or loft insulation below the recommended depth, would previously fail the BUS eligibility test outright — even if the landlord was perfectly willing to install a heat pump. That's no longer a blocker. It opens up a meaningful slice of the rental stock that was locked out of the scheme before April 2026.
Current grant values
- £7,500 for an air source or ground source heat pump
- £9,000 for oil or LPG (off-gas grid) properties, from summer 2026
- £5,000 for a biomass boiler (off-gas, rural properties)
- £2,500 for air-to-air heat pumps (new category, late 2026)
There's no income test, landlords are explicitly eligible (this surprises a lot of people), and it's one grant per property — a property that's already received a BUS or RHI grant can't claim again. The grant is paid directly to the MCS-certified installer, who deducts it from your invoice; you never handle the grant money yourself.
Who should look at this again
If you looked at BUS for a property in the last year or two and were told no because of an outstanding insulation recommendation, that's exactly the scenario this rule change addresses. It's worth re-checking eligibility rather than assuming the earlier "no" still stands.
This guide is informational and reflects scheme rules as understood in mid-2026, following the 28 April 2026 amendment regulations. Confirm current specifics with an MCS-certified installer or GOV.UK before applying. It isn't financial or legal advice.