Air-Con May Soon Qualify for Government Grants

With UK summersgetting hotter and energy bills staying high, the ability to heat and cool yourhome with one low-carbon system is looking more appealing than ever.

Until now,air-conditioning systems—specifically reversible air-to-air heat pumps—havebeen excluded from the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), which offersgrants of up to £7,500 for low-carbon heating. But that could be about tochange.

Air-Con Meets Heat Pump Policy

The Department forEnergy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) recently wrapped up a public consultationthat could expand the scope of the BUS to include reversible air-to-air (A2A)heat pumps—in other words, modern air-conditioning units that also provide heating.

“DESNZ recentlyclosed a consultation on extending the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to air-to-airreversible heat pumps,” a department spokesperson confirmed.

The proposal suggestseither:

• Partial grantfunding for standalone reversible air-to-air systems (particularly when pairedwith a separate water heater), or

• 50% BUS supportwhen these units are installed alongside a traditional boiler in a hybridsetup.

Why This Matters

Reversible air-to-airheat pumps are already widely used across Europe and Asia to provide year-roundcomfort. They:

• Deliver bothheating in winter and cooling in summer

• Are cheaper andeasier to install than traditional air-to-water systems

• Have a much largerinstaller base — with an estimated 50,000 F-gas certified engineers across theUK, compared to around 7,000 heat pump specialists

A 2023government-commissioned review found that air-to-air systems offer energyefficiency, cost savings, and carbon reductions, especially in smaller orwell-insulated homes.

Cooling in a Warming Climate

The UK isexperiencing record-breaking summer temperatures and increasing demand for airconditioning—currently with no low-carbon incentive structure in place.Including cooling-capable heat pumps in the BUS could:

·     Help households adapt to climate change moreaffordably

·     Encourage cleaner alternatives to portable aircon units (which are energy-hungry)

·     Boost uptake of hybrid or phased retrofitsystems, supporting the transition from gas heating

What’s Next?

The DESNZconsultation is now closed. If adopted, this policy change could come intoforce within the next update of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme guidelines—possiblywithin months.

In the meantime:

·     Check with your installer whether reversibleair-to-air units are right for your home

·     Track policy updates via gov.uk

·     Get ready to act quickly when the new fundingcriteria are confirmed

Final Thought

If the change goesahead, the UK would finally be aligning its incentives with the reality ofmodern comfort: homes need to be both warm and cool—and doing that efficientlymatters more than ever.

The future of homecomfort is flexible, efficient, and reversible. Watch this space.

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