Are recent changes to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme helpful?

There has been a lot of publicity about recent changes to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) that remove mandatory loft and cavity wall insulation for some households to secure heat pump funding via the scheme.

While the policy changes will help reduce the cost of installing a heat pump, is it helpful to consumers and reaching our net zero targets?

Let’s look at consumers. For some properties, installing a heat pump without insulation may lead to more expensive heating bills and a less efficient system. Even if the heat pump installed is correct size for the property (given the lack of insulation), the owner will be left with an oversize heat pump if they later decide to improve insulation.

Negative experiences risk knocking confidence in heat pumps, leading to poor publicity with consumers potentially blaming the technology when the reality is, it’s poor advice and installation.

This policy change is about driving heat pumps sales to hit government targets to install 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028 but risks poorer outcomes for consumers who install a heat pump without making the recommended energy improvements. While OHM Energy supports incentives to reduce upfront costs, with heat pump sales and the take up of the BUS nationwide slower than expected, we feel that the government must not drive the market at any cost to hit their targets. This change puts the focus on installers to act with integrity and advise consumers correctly.

We believe that education is key to decarbonisation, so the OHM Energy team offers consumers a range of low carbon options such as solar and electric boilers in addition to heat pumps.