How to Reduce Your Home’s Carbon Footprint with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme

The recently announced Boiler Upgrade Scheme 2022 (also referred to as ‘BUS’) is a government initiative that provides grants to help homeowners with the cost of purchasing and installing low carbon heating sources. In this article we’ll look at how the scheme can help improve your home’s energy-efficiency when used in conjunction with a new underfloor heating system. You’ll find out:

• Am I eligible for a boiler upgrade grant?
• Does underfloor heating work with heat pumps?
• Can I install UFH with a biomass boiler?
• Is the BUS scheme applicable for new-build properties?
• How much money can I save with floor heating?

What is the Boiler Upgrade?

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme UK was launched by the British Government in April 2022. It aims to reduce household carbon emissions by helping homeowners replace existing inefficient gas and oil-fed boilers with a new energy-saving heat source. If you are eligible for the scheme you could receive up to £5,000 towards the upfront cost and installation of a ground or air source heat pump or a biomass boiler (for those living in rural properties).

An MCS certified installer must apply for the grant on your behalf, so your first step will be tendering quotes for installing a heat pump or biomass boiler in your home. Find out if you are eligible for a free boiler upgrade and apply for a grant today through the Ofgem website.

Ground-source and air-source heat pumps are a sustainable way to keep your house heated, utilising renewable energy with a much lower environmental impact. Heat pumps take the warmth from the natural atmosphere (through the air with an ‘air-source’ pump or via the earth’s warmth with a ‘ground-source’ pump) and convert it into energy to heat your home and provide you with hot water too.

Can I use underfloor heating with a heat pump?

Heat pumps are perfect for using with water underfloor heating systems. Floor heaters are a much more efficient heating solution than central heating systems; requiring less energy to radiantly heat your home whilst still producing the same level of warmth as radiators. Heat pumps also operate at lower temperatures than traditional boilers which means they work best with floor heaters. Want to find out more about the benefits of using UFH with heat pumps? Read our expert article to discover everything you need to know.

A great water underfloor system to use with your new heat pump would be our Total-16 Low-Profile System. With a system depth of just 16mm, the Total-16 System will have a negligible impact on your floor levels, making it an ideal choice for both home renovations and new-build projects.

Does floor heating work with a biomass boiler?

If you’re living in a rural house, then the Boiler Upgrade Scheme may help pay towards the purchase of a biomass boiler for your home. Biomass boilers burn natural materials such as specially formed wood pellets and logs instead of unsustainable gas and oil, so they are considered a more carbon-neutral technology.

Water underfloor heating systems can be used alongside a biomass boiler and the installation process should be as simple as it would be with a traditional gas-fed boiler.

Is the BUS available for self-built homes?

Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants are available for certain self-built homes but there are certain caveats; namely, the house must be built by you, the eventual resident, and must not owned by a business. Our range of electric and water underfloor heating systems are a great solution for self-built homes, helping to lower the carbon footprint of your property whilst saving you money on your energy bills.

The Clypso System is a popular wet system for new-build homes across the country. It’s perfect to install with BUS-funded heat pumps and biomass boilers and has been designed for use with floating screeded floors.

Will using UFH with a heat pump or biomass boiler save me money?

Due to the increased energy-efficiency of these technologies, using a heat pump or biomass boiler alongside a Warmup floor heating system can dramatically reduce your home’s carbon emissions and help save you substantial money on your bills.

Underfloor heating is up to 40% more efficient than homes using central heating systems. Replacing your home’s central heating system with a new heat pump and Warmup floor heater could cut your carbon output by nearly 1900 kgCO2/year whilst bringing annual savings of nearly £700. Read our recent article to find out how UFH can help save you money on your energy bills.