Guidance only, checked against public Ofgem, MCS and RECC pages in October 2026. Fees, lead times and certification bodies change. This is not an application service and not legal advice. Start from Ofgem’s installer page and the live BUS installer guidance.
England and Wales only. Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate schemes. Hybrids that keep a fossil-fuel boiler are not eligible. You must pass the full grant through as an upfront discount — Ofgem can reject or revoke a voucher if you do not.
Current grant values
The installer claims these and deducts them on the quote. Figures below follow the GOV.UK notice effective from 21 July 2026. Trust the live tables if they have moved.
| Installation | Grant |
|---|---|
| Air-to-water or ground source heat pump | £7,500 |
| Air-to-water or ground source, off-gas grid, replacing oil or LPG (until 31 March 2027) | £9,000 |
| Air-to-air heat pump (residential only) | £2,500 |
| Biomass boiler (rural, never on gas grid; extra rules) | £5,000 |
Householder overview: heat pumps. Install sequence: air source heat pump installation.
What you need before you can offer BUS
Do these in roughly this order. Consumer-code applications still take weeks if you need one, so start that early.
1. MCS-approved training
You need competence for both installation and design of the technology you will certify (heat pumps and/or biomass). MCS lists approved courses. A Technical Supervisor must be able to sign off each job against the MCS installation standard.
2. Public liability insurance
Certification bodies typically want a minimum of £2 million public liability. Trade insurers (Admiral Business, Trade Direct and others) sell this; premiums vary with turnover and claims. The old hub “from about £600” figure is only a ballpark — get a quote.
3. Consumer code
Ofgem still expects an approved consumer code on BUS work. As of the installer guidance we read:
- If you are on the MCS Redeveloped Installer Scheme (MCS:2025), that scheme itself is an approved consumer code for BUS. You do not also need RECC or HIES for the grant.
- If you are still on the previous MCS scheme, you must hold RECC or HIES. Start this first — the hub’s 2–4 week lead time is still a fair warning.
RECC fees on their public table (exclusive of VAT, checked October 2026): joining / administration fee £100; sole trader membership £226; 1–6 employees £299. The hub’s £215 sole-trader joining figure is out of date. Other company types: RECC fees. Ask HIES for their current schedule.
4. Quality management system (QMS)
You need documented processes for MCS before the certification-body assessment. Options the hub listed still exist: a packaged QMS (EasyMCS, Paperclip and similar), or your own system using MCS templates. We could not verify the old EasyMCS “one technology £625 / second £100” prices on their public site — ask the supplier. The QMS has to exist for the assessment; some installers put it in place before they buy public liability.
5. Apply to a certification body
The certification body (CB) assesses your office processes and at least one compliant installation per technology. MCS lists current CBs, including NAPIT, NICEIC, OFTEC, Simply Certification and others. The hub named APHC; MCS stated APHC’s UKAS accreditation was suspended when we checked, so they could not make certification decisions. Use the live MCS becoming-certified list. CBs also want that £2 million public liability.
6. MCS registration
Once the CB is satisfied you sign the MCS installer agreement and get access to the MCS Installations Database. MCS says the company listing itself is then quick. Ongoing costs include a per-certificate fee (MCS published £30 per registered installation). Pathway: mcscertified.com/installers/becoming-certified.
7. Create a BUS installer account
Open the account on the Ofgem BUS installer pages before you need to submit a voucher. The hub’s “21 days activation” mixed two facts: you can apply once the account is live; MCS’s Find an Installer filter for BUS-ready firms can take up to 21 days after account activation to show your name.
How a BUS job then runs
- Check the property and technology against the live Ofgem rules (England or Wales, replace fossil or electric heat, EPC or alternative evidence, no fossil hybrid).
- Quote with the full grant shown as a deduction. Do not ask the owner to pay that slice.
- Apply for the voucher on the owner’s behalf. Ofgem emails them for consent.
- Install and commission within the voucher window (typically three months; six months for ground source). Then redeem against the MCS certificate.
Ofgem can audit after payment. Keep the MCS certificate, quote, invoice and consent trail.
Related
- Heat pumps — grant figures for householders
- Air source heat pump installation
- Hybrid heat pumps — why a fossil boiler alongside a heat pump is not BUS
- Ofgem: BUS for installers
- GOV.UK: apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Guidance only, written against the hub checklist and public Ofgem / MCS / RECC pages in October 2026. Scheme rules, grant values and membership fees change. Gas and heating work in the UK still needs the right competence and, where it applies, Gas Safe registration.