How the Boiler Upgrade Scheme Application Works for Cambridge Homes
Last reviewed: 2 October 2026
You don't fill in a form for the heat pump grant; your installer does. This guide explains who does what, where Cambridge's planning service fits in, what landlords need to watch, and how long it all takes.
Who does what
| You | Your installer | Ofgem |
|---|---|---|
| Book a survey and choose a quote | Surveys the home and designs the system | Checks the application |
| Get planning consent if needed | Submits the grant application | Emails you to confirm consent |
| Reply to Ofgem’s confirmation email | Installs and commissions the heat pump | Issues the voucher |
| Pay the balance after the grant | Redeems the voucher, issues the final invoice | Pays the grant to the installer |
You don’t need an account, a form or an EPC. Since 28 April 2026, the Energy Performance Certificate requirement no longer applies.
Before anything is submitted
Choose an MCS-certified installer
Only MCS-certified installers can apply, and since April 2026 that certification is a legal condition of the grant. Check the company on the MCS register before you sign anything.
Get a design-led quote
Cambridge’s frostier winters — around 52 air-frost days a year at the NIAB weather station, far more than western cities like Bristol — make an accurate heat loss calculation especially important. The quote should be built from a room-by-room survey, show the grant as a deduction, and specify the cylinder. With water as hard as Cambridge’s, the cylinder’s heating coil should be rated for heat pumps.
Settle planning first
Most rear-garden installations are permitted development. If your home is listed, or in one of the city’s 18 conservation areas with the unit facing the street, you’ll need consent from Greater Cambridge Shared Planning, the joint planning service for Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire. Do this before the installer applies: an air source heat pump voucher only lasts a limited time, and a planning decision can take two months or more.
The application itself
Once you accept the quote, the installer submits the application online. It names you as the owner, describes the existing heating (gas, oil, LPG or electric), and gives the proposed heat pump and price.
Ofgem then emails the property owner to check you agreed to it. Reply promptly and within the deadline stated. An unanswered email is the most common avoidable reason for a delayed or withdrawn application.
When Ofgem approves the application, it issues a voucher to the installer. Wait for confirmation of the voucher before paying any deposit calculated on the assumption the grant will come through.
Notes for Cambridge landlords
Landlords are eligible, and many Cambridge rentals are older terraces that suit a well-designed heat pump. A few practical points:
- Give the installer your own email address. Ofgem’s confirmation goes to the owner, not the tenant.
- Plan access around tenancies. Installation usually takes three to five days with the heating off for part of that time. Between tenancies or in summer is easiest, particularly for student lets.
- Explain the controls. Heat pumps work best left running at a steady temperature, which surprises tenants used to a gas boiler blasting heat on demand. A short handover note saves complaints and wasted energy.
After installation
The installer commissions the system, registers it with MCS, notifies UK Power Networks (the electricity network operator for the East of England) and redeems the voucher. Your final invoice shows the £7,500 grant deducted, or £9,000 if the heat pump replaced oil or LPG heating and was applied for between 21 July 2026 and 31 March 2027.
Keep the MCS certificate with your property documents. You’ll need it for warranty claims and when you sell or re-let.
Typical timescales
- No planning needed: about six to ten weeks from survey to working heat pump.
- Conservation area or listed building: add the planning period, often eight weeks or more.
- Voucher to installation: keep within the voucher’s validity. Agree an installation date with the installer before they apply.
The installation process guide describes what happens on site, and the eligibility guide covers who can apply.
See what a heat pump would look like in your Cambridge home
The mechanism is the same in every UK home; the design is specific to yours. Our team carries out a free in-home survey including a full room-by-room heat-loss calculation, identifies the system size and configuration that fits your property, and provides a written quote with the £7,500 BUS grant already deducted.
You'll see the actual figure you'd pay — not an estimate — and the projected efficiency for your specific install.