Are There Grants for Air Conditioning?

Possibly — and the answer has been changing, so check the current position before relying on anything here.

Why this is even a question

Government support for home heating has historically focused on air-to-water heat pumps, the kind that replace a gas boiler and feed radiators. Air-to-air systems — wall-mounted units that heat and cool a room directly — sat outside that.

That changed. Air-to-air heat pumps were brought within the scope of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for residential properties, with a grant available.

The conditions attached

Grant funding of this kind normally comes with strings, and the important one here is certification.

Support schemes typically require the installation to be carried out by an MCS-certified installer, using certified products. That's a specific accreditation, separate from the F-Gas certification that every legal installer must hold.

At the time of writing, MCS certification for air-to-air systems has been in the process of being rolled out, with certification bodies working through accreditation. That means availability has been uneven — some installers can offer grant-eligible work and some can't yet.

What this means practically

If a grant matters to your decision, ask any installer you're considering two direct questions:

1. Are you MCS certified for air-to-air systems? Not "are you certified" — the specific scope matters.

2. Can you confirm in writing that this installation would be eligible?

An installer who is vague on either isn't necessarily dishonest. Certification takes time and cost, and plenty of good installers won't have it yet. But you need to know before you commit, not after.

Don't let the grant drive the decision

A grant is worth having. It shouldn't determine which rooms you do, which system you choose, or who installs it, if those choices are otherwise wrong.

A well-sized, well-installed system without a grant will serve you better for fifteen years than a compromise you accepted to qualify for funding.

Check the current position

Grant schemes change — eligibility, amounts, and closing dates. Anything you read online, including this page, may be out of date by the time you read it.

The current rules are published on GOV.UK, and MCS publish the status of their certification scopes. Check both before making a decision that depends on funding.