The Short Answer
Call Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282 before you commit to anything. Funding is first come, first served, and it's only reserved once you have a written offer.
In our view Scotland has the best heat pump support in Great Britain. The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan gives homeowners up to £7,500 towards a heat pump, plus an optional interest-free loan of up to £7,500, and rural and island homes get an extra £1,500 of grant. You don't need to be on benefits. If you do qualify through a benefit, age with no working heating, or a terminal illness form, Warmer Homes Scotland meets all the costs in most cases, though a heat pump is only one of the things it might fit.
Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan
For heat pumps and heat network connections, Home Energy Scotland says grant funding of up to £7,500 is available, with up to another £7,500 as an optional interest-free loan. Together they could cover the whole cost of a typical install: DESNZ's median for a 6 to 8kW install (our typical 3-bed size) in England and Wales is about £12,200, though Scottish prices may differ. Insulation can be funded alongside: grants of up to 75% of the cost, up to £7,500 for solid wall insulation and £1,500 each for loft, cavity and underfloor.
Rural and Island Uplift
Rural and island homes get an extra £1,500 on both the heating and the energy efficiency grants, so a rural household can claim up to £9,000 towards a heat pump and up to £9,000 towards insulation, £18,000 in all. It covers remote rural and island areas and off-gas accessible rural areas, by the Scottish Government's Urban Rural Classification; an adviser confirms whether your home qualifies.
Who's Eligible
- An existing home in Scotland that you own and live in as your only or primary residence (so landlords can't apply).
- An MCS installer and an MCS or Solar Keymark certified product.
- The heat pump must provide 100% of your heating and hot water. Hybrid, air-to-air and exhaust air heat pumps aren't funded.
- Funding is first come, first served, reserved only once a written offer is issued, and agreements are valid for nine months.
Scotland Against England and Wales
| Scotland (Home Energy Scotland) | England and Wales (Boiler Upgrade Scheme) | |
|---|---|---|
| Heat pump grant | Up to £7,500 | £7,500 |
| Interest-free loan | Up to £7,500 | No |
| Rural or off-grid uplift | £1,500, rural and island homes | £1,500 for oil or LPG with no mains gas, until March 2027 |
| Free route for lower incomes | Warmer Homes Scotland; ECO4 (until 31 December 2026) | ECO4 (Great Britain, until 31 December 2026); in England the Warm Homes: Local Grant; in Wales, Nest |
Warmer Homes Scotland: If You Qualify
Warmer Homes Scotland offers support "worth £10,000 or more", and air source heat pumps are among the improvements, with insulation, draught-proofing, storage heaters, gas boilers and home renewables. In most cases the Scottish Government meets all the costs; in rare cases you may contribute, with an interest-free loan available. You can't get funding for work already done. You need to:
- be a homeowner or a private tenant (with your landlord's permission), living there as your main home for at least six months (unless you have an SR1, DS1500 or BASRiS form);
- live in a home with a poor energy rating (Warmworks assesses it), 230 square metres or less, in council tax band A to G, meeting the tolerable standard;
- include someone aged 75 or over with no working heating, someone with a DS1500, SR1 or BASRiS form, or someone on a qualifying benefit.
Private rented homes under the Repairing Standard don't get improvements the landlord is legally obliged to provide, such as working heating, but can get the others.
How to Apply
Ring Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282. An adviser checks what you're eligible for, and for Warmer Homes Scotland books a Warmworks survey. For the grant and loan, get your written offer before you commit to an installer, then use an MCS-certified one. We'd insulate a draughty home first: our guide to insulating before a heat pump covers the order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Grants and interest-free loans for Scottish homes
Home Energy Scotland gives a grant of up to £7,500 for a heat pump (£9,000 in rural and island homes) plus an optional £7,500 interest-free loan. Get free quotes from MCS-certified installers in Scotland in 60 seconds.