Thousands of Peterborough households to be offered £9k heat pump grant

Households in the Peterborough area which rely on heating oil are set to receive a leaflet through their door inviting them to consider switching to a heat pump this summer.Launched on July 21, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is offering £9,000 to help rural households make the move from heating oil to a heat pump.

It is estimated that up to 14,000 eligible homes in Peterborough and the surrounding area will be eligible for the extra funding.

The aim of the scheme is to protect such households from fossil fuel price spikes and provide greater certainty over energy bills.

“I know the war in the Middle East has hit households on heating oil especially hard,” said Minister for Energy Consumers, Martin McCluskey. “The Boiler Upgrade Scheme will help thousands of families in Peterborough switch to clean heat to protect them from volatile fossil fuels.”

Charlotte Lee, CEO, Heat Pump Association UK, echoed those sentiments:

“Many of these households have faced considerable price uncertainty in recent months, without the protection of the energy price cap, and this £9,000 grant will help shield families from volatile fossil fuel costs, by using home grown electricity, in the years ahead.”

While describing the scheme as a “positive step” for households relying on heating oil, Matt Copeland, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at National Energy Action, highlighted some concerns:

“Many families will be expecting to ration their heating in the coming winter, living in homes they cannot afford to keep warm, not through choice but constraint,” he said.

“Supporting the shift to cleaner heating in these homes can help deliver greater stability and lower bills.

“The real test will be whether this support reaches those most at risk and makes homes genuinely affordable to heat.”

Information on how to apply will be landing on doormats of thousands of eligible households this week.