Why this matters around Boston
Once you leave the town, a big share of homes in villages like Wrangle, Old Leake, Leverton and Langrick have no mains gas, so oil and LPG have been the default for decades. Those homes are exactly the ones the government is now trying to move to heat pumps, which is why the grant for off-grid properties has gone up this year.
How they compare
A modern condensing oil boiler turns around nine-tenths of the energy in the oil into heat. It is a known quantity: it heats radiators to a high temperature quickly, works with the radiators you already have, and is quick to swap like-for-like.
An air source heat pump takes heat from the outside air and moves it into your home. Because it moves heat rather than making it, a well-installed heat pump typically delivers around three units of heat for every unit of electricity it uses across the year. It runs at lower water temperatures for longer, so the house is kept steadily warm rather than heated in bursts.
- ✓Running costs: depend on oil prices, your electricity tariff and, above all, how well the heat pump is designed and set up
- ✓Upfront cost: a heat pump costs more to install, but the grant closes much of the gap
- ✓Radiators: a new oil boiler works with your existing radiators; a heat pump may need some radiators upsizing
- ✓Fuel deliveries: a heat pump means no tank, no deliveries and no running out over Christmas
- ✓Space: a heat pump needs a spot outside for the unit and usually a hot water cylinder inside
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant
In England and Wales, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7,500 off the cost of an air source or ground source heat pump. For homes that currently heat with oil or LPG, the grant has been raised to £9,000 for installations between 21 July 2026 and 31 March 2027.
A few points worth knowing before you get quotes:
- ✓You need to own the property. Landlords can apply as well as homeowners
- ✓It is for replacing a fossil fuel system, so swapping an oil boiler for another oil boiler does not qualify
- ✓The installer applies for the grant and takes it off your quote; you do not get a cheque
- ✓The installer must be MCS certified, so check this before you sign anything
- ✓The higher £9,000 rate is time-limited, so if you are thinking about switching, get a survey booked in good time
Grant amounts and dates are set by the government and can change. Check the current figures on the Energy Saving Trust or GOV.UK website before you commit.
When a heat pump makes sense
In my experience a heat pump tends to work well when:
- ✓The house has reasonable loft and wall insulation, or you are happy to improve it
- ✓You have somewhere outside for the unit and room for a hot water cylinder
- ✓Your radiators are a decent size, or you are open to changing a few
- ✓You plan to stay in the house long enough to benefit
- ✓Your current boiler is still working, so there is time to plan the switch properly
When a new oil boiler is the better call
A heat pump is not right for every home, and I would rather tell you that than fit something that leaves you cold. A new oil boiler is often the more sensible choice when:
- ✓It is an older, solid-walled farmhouse or cottage with little insulation and no realistic way to improve it
- ✓Your boiler has failed in the middle of winter and you need heat back quickly
- ✓The upfront cost of a heat pump, even after the grant, is out of reach right now
Questions to ask any installer
Whoever you choose, a good heat pump quote should start with a proper survey. Ask whether they will:
- ✓Carry out a room-by-room heat loss calculation, not just guess the size from the old boiler
- ✓Check every radiator against the heat each room needs at a low flow temperature
- ✓Tell you the flow temperature the system is designed to run at
- ✓Confirm they are MCS certified and will handle the grant application
- ✓Explain the warranty on the unit and on their own workmanship
How I can help
I am OFTEC qualified for oil and a Warmflow accredited installer for both oil boilers and air source heat pumps, so I can give you a straight answer on which suits your home. New Warmflow oil boilers come with up to 10 years manufacturer warranty, and Warmflow heat pumps with 7 years, both backed by my own 4-year labour guarantee.
Find out more about heat pump installation or oil boiler installation, or get in touch below and I will come and have a look.
Covering Boston and South Lincolnshire
I survey and install oil boilers and air source heat pumps in off-grid homes across: