More homes eligible for the £7,500 BUS grant

At the moment, homeowners fitting either an airsource or ground source heat pump must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) that does not have any recommendations for cavity wall insulation or loft insulation to be fitted. There are some exemptions, for instance houses that donot have cavity walls.

Under the new rules, that requirement will no longer apply. Applicants to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) will just need an EPC issued within the past 10 years.

The government hopes that by removing the requirement to pay to upgrade cavity wall and loft insulation more homeowners will make the switch from fossil fuel boilers and help it meet its targets to cut carbon emissions.

While this is a welcome step, the running costs of a heat pump are dependent on the heat loss of a building which is based on the insulation levels. Homes without good levels of insulation may need to install a larger heat pump, which costs more, and also pay higher bills for their electrical energy to run the heat pump, as the heat pump will have to work harder to keep a home warn.

At Biosun Energy we always carry out a Heat Loss Survey on a home planning to install a heat pump, so we can give homeowners accurate information on the cost of the install and expected running costs. In some instances, the cost of installing the insulation can be quickly recouped in the installation of a smaller heat pump and lower running costs.

According to the Department forEnergy Security and Net Zero the new rules will come in to force “in the coming months” once approved by Parliament.

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