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The government has announced a package of measures that make solar panels and heat pumps more accessible, more affordable and less complicated than they have ever been. Here's what you need to know.
Heat pump grant just jumped to £9,000 for oil and LPG homes
If you're on heating oil or LPG and you've been putting off switching to a heat pump because of the cost, today's announcement changes the picture significantly.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant for homes heated by oil and LPG has increased to £9,000. That's up from the standard £7,500 and it applies to homes across England and Wales. If you're in a rural area and you're currently spending hundreds of pounds a month on oil deliveries, a heat pump funded by a £9,000 grant is now a very different conversation.
Get in touch and we'll tell you exactly what you'd pay after the grant.
Solar is about to reach people it never has before
The government has earmarked £25 million to pilot a plug-in solar programme, street by street, in partnership with local authorities, targeting low income homes who couldn't previously access solar panels. This is solar becoming available to more people than ever before. If you've ever thought solar panels were certain types of houses or a certain level of income, that's the assumption the government is actively trying to break down.
For everyone else, there's also news on planning. The government is making it easier to install solar panels in flats and rented properties. If you were told no before because of planning rules or because you rent, it's time to ask again.
The fossil fuel rollercoaster is ending
Prime Minister Keir Starmer put it plainly: "We need to get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster."
Even though a growing share of UK electricity comes from wind and solar, they cost the same to run whether gas is £1 or £10, the price for electricity is still your electricity bill has still set by the global price of gas. When there's instability in the Middle East or a cold snap in Europe, your electricity costs might increase. Even if the electricity powering your home came from a wind farm down the road.
The government is now moving to break that link through fixed price contracts for renewable generators and a higher tax on excess profits when gas prices spike.
These measures are still being put in place and won't change your bill overnight. But the direction of travel is clear. The less your electricity price is tied to gas, the more stable your bills could be over time.
Want to get ahead of it? Generate your own electricity.
When your solar panels are generating, you're using your own electricity rather than drawing from the grid. You're using your own. And with OVO's 20p Smart Export Guarantee rate, you're earning money on anything you don't use. A heat pump replaces gas for your heating entirely. Together, solar and a heat pump give you far greater control over your energy costs.
The paperwork just got simpler
One of the biggest barriers to installing a heat pump has always been planning rules, particularly for people in flats, rented properties or homes without a driveway.
The government announced today that it's overhauling planning and permitted development rules to make it easier to install heat pumps, solar panels and EV chargers in exactly those situations. Flats. Rented homes. Properties without a driveway.
If you looked into a heat pump or solar panels before and were put off by planning complications, it's worth having another conversation. The rules are changing in your favour.
This is a British industry moment
The government is investing £90 million in UK heat pump manufacturing, backing homegrown production of the technology that's replacing gas boilers across the country. That investment is creating British jobs, building British supply chains and making the UK less dependent on imported fossil fuels.
When you install a heat pump or solar panels with a local installer, you're part of that. You're not just cutting your own bills. You're part of the shift the government is trying to accelerate.
We've been installing solar panels and heat pumps across the UK for years. We know the local planning rules, the local roof types and the local homes. We're MCS certified, OVO backed and ready to help you make the switch.
Get your free estimate today. No commitment, no paperwork. Just a clear answer on what solar or a heat pump would cost for your home, and how much you'd save.