When replacing a fossil fuel heating system with a heat pump or other low carbon technology, the expectation and rules for waste disposal are the same as like-for-like replacements.

Guidance for the disposal of appliances varies by product categorisation. Advice on waste management can be found on gov.uk.

When replacing a fossil fuel heating system with a heat pump or other low carbon technology, the expectation and rules for waste disposal are the same as like-for-like replacements.

Guidance for the disposal of appliances varies by product categorisation. Advice on waste management can be found on gov.uk.

The Environment Agency does not oversee the deployment of clean heating systems. However, where oil tanks, boilers etc. are removed, waste producers and contractors must comply with their legal Waste Duty of Care and ensure waste is managed appropriately, including any hazardous wastes from decommissioning activities. Further information here Waste duty of care code of practice - GOV.UK and Dispose of business or commercial waste: Your responsibilities - GOV.UK.

The Department is committed to working collaboratively with the Northern Ireland Executive on the delivery of the Warm Homes Plan (WHP), recognising the distinct housing stock and energy needs across the UK. The WHP supports a range of low‑carbon heating solutions beyond hydronic heat pumps including heat networks, biomass boilers, air-to-air heat pumps, and heat batteries to ensure the upgrades are right for the context of the household. We will continue to keep under review the range of technologies that are supported by the WHP schemes.

The Government provides grant support for low‑income households worth £4.4 billion up to 2030 through the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, funding measures such as insulation, heat pumps, solar, and batteries.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a universal grant offer of up to £7.500 for low carbon heating such as heat pumps, with a recent uplift to up to £9,000 for properties heated by oil or LPG in response to the Middle East situation.

We’ve also committed to offering new low-interest loans backed by an initial £2 billion of Government support, raising minimum standards in the rented sectors to ‘C’, and implementing the new Future Homes Standard to ensure new-build homes are fitted with solar, heat pumps, and high levels of insulation as standard.

These policies are part of the Government’s wider £15 billion Warm Homes Plan, which represents the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history.

Underfloor heating is cheaper to run and safer in prisons because it operates at lower temperatures than traditional radiators, reducing energy costs, working efficiently with low-carbon heat pumps, distributing heat more evenly to minimise heat loss, and eliminating exposed radiators that could be damaged, tampered with, or cause injury.

Underfloor heating is currently installed at the following HMPs,

• Wetherby

• Durham

• Frankland

• Cardiff

• Nottingham

• Stocken

• High Down

• Cookham Wood

• Earlestoke

• The Mount

• Parkhurst

• HMP Aylesbury

• HMP Winchester

• HMP Bullingdon

• Five wells

• Fosse way

• Berwynn

• Bronzefield

• Peterborough-

• Rye Hill

• Millsike

• Littlehey

• Maidstone

• Bure

• Oakwood

• Lewes

• Elmley

• Parc

All our new prisons will feature underfloor heating, as will all new houseblocks being built at existing prisons. Where appropriate, the refurbishment of existing prison wings may also include the installation of underfloor heating.

We are currently reviewing evidence from our consultation on alternative clean heat solutions and will publish a government response in due course.

The Government is supporting heat batteries by including them in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, with a £2,500 grant to support homes that are not suitable for heat pumps. Heat batteries will become eligible once new product and installation standards are in place, ensuring quality and consumer protection and we expect applications to open in 2026/27, once standards, regulations and guidance have been completed.

Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at five per cent.

The Government assesses whether to add ESMs to this relief by evaluating them against the following tests: the primary purpose of the technology must be to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions; relieving the technology of VAT must be a cost effective lever for encouraging installations; and it must be practical for business to operate and for HMRC to administer.

The Government is supporting heat batteries by including them in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, with a £2,500 grant to support homes that are not suitable for heat pumps. Heat batteries will become eligible once new product and installation standards are in place, ensuring quality and consumer protection and we expect applications to open in 2026/27, once standards, regulations and guidance have been completed.

Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at five per cent.

The Government assesses whether to add ESMs to this relief by evaluating them against the following tests: the primary purpose of the technology must be to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions; relieving the technology of VAT must be a cost effective lever for encouraging installations; and it must be practical for business to operate and for HMRC to administer.

To provide additional support for off-gas-grid households the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will begin to provide grants of £9,000 for hydronic heat pumps replacing oil or LPG boilers in off-grid homes from 21 July, in addition to the £7,500 grants that are available for most homeowners.

The Government believes most off-grid homes are suitable to install hydronic heat pumps. To provide additional consumer choice the scheme also offers grants of £5,000 for biomass boilers in rural homes, and will begin to provide grants of £2,500 for air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries once appropriate product and installation standards are in place.

Over this Parliament the Government is working relentlessly to translate the much cheaper wholesale costs of clean power into lower bills for consumers. This will be core to every decision we make.

We pay close attention to the balance of costs recovered on energy bills. We are considering a range of different options to ascertain which best delivers on our priorities but are mindful we are currently operating in a difficult fiscal environment.

This is a complex issue and decisions will be made which must be informed by robust research and analysis. We will ensure we keep fairness and affordability at the forefront of our minds throughout this process.

Information on heat pumps and biomass boilers installed through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is published in Table Q1.3 of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme Statistics release. By the end of March 2026, 238 heat pumps and fewer than 5 biomass boilers had been installed in North East Somerset and Hanham.

At least 16 further air source heat pumps had been installed under the Energy Company Obligation by the end of March 2026, as published in Table 3.7 of the Household Energy Efficiency Statistics release.

Heat pumps may also have been installed under other schemes, but constituency-level data are not published.

As set out in the Warm Homes Plan, low-income consumers will benefit from over £5 billion of investment in home upgrades by 2030 to make houses warmer and more comfortable, reduce bills, and improve our energy security.

Over the course of this Parliament, we intend to introduce the most appropriate and cost-effective passive cooling measures into funding schemes focused on improving the homes of low-income consumers and social housing.

This Government is committed to improving the quality and sustainability of our housing stock, through improvements such as low carbon heating, insulation, solar panels and batteries. This will be vital to making the UK more energy resilient and meeting our 2050 Net Zero commitment.

Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at five per cent.

In 2023, the Government ran a call for evidence on areas of reform that could help the relief meet its intended objectives more effectively, including the inclusion of additional technologies. The outcome can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/vat-energy-saving-materials-relief-improving-energy-efficiency-and-reducing-carbon-emissions/outcome/summary-of-responses

In the Home Energy Model (HEM): Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) consultation, we proposed that electric heating with thermal storage – where its efficiency and use of off-peak electricity result in lower annual emissions than an equivalent direct electric system – would typically achieve a C rating or above. We are analysing consultation responses and will publish a Government Response by the end of the year. This consultation related to EPCs in England and Wales and the Scottish Government is developing its own policies for reformed EPCs.

HEM will be introduced as a methodology for demonstrating compliance with the English Future Home Standard (FHS) in the coming months and for EPCs in the second half of 2027.

The Department does not hold information on the numbers of households using older direct electric heating and older storage heaters.

We recently consulted on the role of alternative clean heating solutions, including thermal energy storage systems such as storage heaters, for properties that may not be suitable for heat pumps or cannot connect to heat networks. Through this consultation, we sought evidence on the costs and barriers to uptake of alternative low‑carbon technologies. We are now considering responses and will publish our response in due course.

The Department recently consulted on the role of alternative clean heating solutions for properties that may not be suitable for heat pumps or heat networks. Through this consultation, we sought evidence on the costs and barriers to uptake of alternative low‑carbon technologies including high heat retention storage heaters. We are now considering the evidence received and will publish the Government response in due course.

All social homes should meet at least a minimum standard of thermal comfort.

My Department made an assessment of subjective overheating through the English Housing Survey, which found that in 2024 10.6% of social housing households reported at least one part of their home got uncomfortably hot. The English Housing Survey 2024 to 2025: headline findings on housing quality and energy efficiency can be found on gov.uk here.

Awaab’s Law came into force in the social rented sector on 27 October 2025. As a result, all social landlords must repair all emergency hazards within 24 hours and fix dangerous damp and mould within fixed timescales. The next phase of Awaab’s Law will consider the application of requirements to a further set of Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) hazards, including excess heat and excess cold.

My Department has also laid new statutory guidance on the operation and enforcement of the Health and Housing Safety Rating System (HHSRS) before Parliament. This will come into force in June and will provide councils with a more intuitive means of assessing hazards in rented homes, including excess heat.