The totals, 23 May 2022 to end of August 2026
| Measure | Total |
|---|---|
| Voucher applications | 151,136 |
| Vouchers issued | 125,321 |
| Redemption applications | 94,764 |
| Redemptions paid (grants paid) | 93,364 |
| Value of grants paid (Ofgem) | £661,303,000 |
| Share of redemptions for air source heat pumps | 98% |
| Share for domestic properties | 99.4% |
The gap between applications and grants paid is mostly timing — installations in progress, vouchers that expire unused, and applications that are withdrawn or rejected. Ofgem counts vouchers issued slightly differently from DESNZ (excluding expired and revoked ones), which is why their issued figures differ.
Applications in 2026
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,264 | 3,632 | 4,517 | 4,406 | 4,411 | 4,512 | 8,150 | 7,486 |
Demand roughly doubled in the summer. July 2026 set a record with 8,150 applications, and August’s 7,486 was 120% higher than August 2025 (3,401). August also set records for vouchers issued (5,903) and redemptions paid (3,260).
The effect of the £9,000 off-gas grant
The uplifted grant for off-gas oil and LPG homes started on 21 July 2026. In July and August, 5,351 applications were for the higher amount — 34% of the 15,636 applications in those months. The timing lines up with the jump in demand, although the statistics alone cannot say how much of the rise was caused by the uplift rather than other factors. The band runs for applications made up to 31 March 2027; see the off-gas grant.
Installation costs
DESNZ reports the median installed cost of grant-funded systems, including the grant value. In 2026 Q2 it was £12,908 for an air source heat pump and £27,232 for ground source. The air source median was £14,545 in 2023 Q2; the 2026 figure is 11% lower in real terms. After the £7,500 grant, the median air source job leaves about £5,408 to pay — our cost guide works through the variations.
What heat pumps replaced
More than half of paid grants — 55% — replaced mains gas. Oil accounted for 17%, direct electric heating 10%, LPG 3% and coal 1%; 13% replaced no previous system, largely self-builds. 62% of properties were on the gas grid. Ground source is the rural, off-gas technology: 82% of ground source redemptions were off-gas and 84% rural. Biomass is rare, at 421 redemptions in total.
Where grants go
| Region | Grants paid | Share |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 18,516 | 20% |
| South West | 16,613 | 18% |
| Wales | 4,938 | 5% |
| North East | 2,930 | 3% |
The South East and South West lead; the North East has the fewest. Urban and rural properties are close to evenly split (51% urban, 49% rural). These are the only per-area figures published, which is why this site has no town-by-town pages — the scheme is the same everywhere in England and Wales.
How to read Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics
Three terms trip people up. A voucher application is made by the installer when a job is agreed; a voucher issued means Ofgem has approved it and the validity clock has started; a redemption is the installer claiming the grant after commissioning, and a redemption paid is the grant actually paid out. Each stage lags the one before by weeks or months, so a jump in applications in July shows up in redemptions later in the year.
The cost figures are medians of reported installation costs, including the grant value, and they are published by quarter rather than by month. They describe grant-funded jobs only, so they say nothing about heat pumps installed without the grant. And the shares by fuel, region and property type are cumulative across the whole life of the scheme, which means a change in 2026 — such as the off-gas uplift — moves them only slowly.
Next release
DESNZ publishes the statistics monthly; the next release is due on 29 October 2026. Ofgem’s own monthly scheme update gives running totals and the remaining budget for the year — £199,563,000 unallocated on 9 September 2026. We update this page when new figures come out. For what the numbers mean for your own home, start with eligibility, or see the end date and budget.
Reading the numbers
“Record applications mean the money will run out.”
Demand has risen, but Ofgem reported £199,563,000 of this year’s budget still unallocated on 9 September 2026, and it notes that the figure is dynamic because vouchers expire or are returned.
The budget is first come, first served. If July-level demand continued all year, the balance would come under pressure — worth watching in each monthly release.