For years, UK homeowners could get help towards an air-to-water heat pump but not the kind of air-to-air system commonly used to heat and cool rooms. That changed in 2026.
The short answer
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme now lists a £2,500 grant for eligible air-to-air heat pumps in England and Wales. That does not mean every product advertised as air conditioning qualifies: the property, system, installer and application must still meet the current scheme rules.
What matters most
- Eligible air-to-air heat pumps can now receive £2,500 through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
- A portable air conditioner is not the same as a qualifying fixed heat-pump installation.
- The installer applies and an approved grant should be shown separately on the quotation and invoice.
- Grant eligibility does not replace room-by-room design, siting and technical checks.
What changed in 2026
Current government guidance includes air-to-air heat pumps among the technologies supported by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The listed grant is £2,500 for an eligible installation. This is a meaningful change because air-to-air systems were previously outside the main domestic grant route.
The scheme applies in England and Wales and is designed to support eligible changes away from fossil-fuel heating. It is therefore safer to treat the grant as a conditional contribution than as an automatic discount attached to anything sold under an air-conditioning label.
Air conditioning or air-to-air heat pump?
Many modern fixed systems can move heat in both directions. In summer they take heat from a room and release it outside. In cooler weather the cycle can reverse, bringing useful heat into the room. That is why fixed air conditioning and air-to-air heat pumps can describe closely related equipment.
The words on a brochure do not decide eligibility. A portable plug-in unit, a cooling-only system and a professionally designed fixed air-to-air heat pump are different propositions. The proposed system and the way it will be installed need to meet the live scheme requirements.
Five checks before relying on the grant
First confirm that the property is in the area covered by the scheme and establish which existing heating system is being replaced. Then confirm that the proposed technology is eligible, that the installer can make a compliant application and that the quotation explains the grant clearly.
Also ask what happens if the application is delayed or refused. A good proposal separates the underlying installation price from the expected grant contribution, so the homeowner can see the real project cost and the condition attached to the discount.
- PropertyConfirm the country, tenure and existing heating arrangement.
- SystemCheck the exact proposed technology against current scheme guidance.
- InstallerConfirm who applies and what information the homeowner must approve.
- QuotationRequire the grant and the underlying scope to be shown clearly.
A grant cannot design the system
Financial support can reduce capital cost, but it cannot decide which rooms need help, how much heat they gain, where an indoor unit should sit or whether an outdoor position works for airflow, appearance and neighbours. Those questions still need a design-led conversation.
Room use, glazing, insulation, orientation, occupancy and equipment loads all change the answer. A sunny loft bedroom and a shaded ground-floor office of the same area may need different capacities and different airflow strategies.
How the application route works
Government guidance says the installer applies on the property owner’s behalf. The homeowner is contacted to confirm that authority, and the grant is deducted from the amount paid when the application and installation complete successfully.
Keep the approval, quotation and invoice together. The paperwork should identify the installed system and make the grant treatment understandable. Scheme rules can change, so the live official guidance should be checked again before any order is accepted.
Use the grant to support a good plan—not to choose the plan.
The new air-to-air grant makes year-round room comfort more accessible for some homes. The sensible order remains the same: understand the uncomfortable rooms, establish what the current heating arrangement is, confirm scheme eligibility and then design the system around the property.
Vireo starts with the rooms and the way the household uses them. Once the likely indoor and outdoor positions, routes, power and capacity are understood, the grant can be treated as one part of a properly explained proposal rather than the headline making every other decision.
Before you move forward.
Does every fixed air-conditioning system qualify for £2,500?
No. Eligibility depends on the current scheme rules, property, existing heating, proposed system and installer route. Confirm the exact installation before relying on the grant.
Can a portable air conditioner receive the grant?
The scheme supports qualifying installed air-to-air heat pumps, not a general purchase of portable cooling appliances. Check the current official criteria for the proposed system.
Who applies for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant?
The installer applies on the homeowner’s behalf. Ofgem then contacts the homeowner to confirm that the installer is acting for them.
Official guidance
Useful primary sources for the rules and technical context mentioned in this article.