Brits can now apply for free £6,000 towards home upgrades

Millions of people in the UK can now apply to get a free £6,000 payment from the government towards home upgrades. To get the cash, you'll need to own your own home and live in England or Wales.

It comes as the Government plans to ban gas boilers in all new build properties from 2025. The scheme opened yesterday, and aims to encourage more Brits to switch to heat pumps.

Under current plans, the Government wants to ban gas boilers in all new build properties from 2025. The installation of gas boilers could then be phased out entirely from 2035, as part of its plans to reach net zero by 2050.

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The plans to ban gas boilers are still proposals at this stage. It is thought households would only have to switch to another energy source once their existing gas boiler has stopped working.

Heat pumps are seen as the most favourable option to replace gas boilers. They work essentially like a fridge in reverse, with these devices extracting warmth from the air or the ground, or from water.

But of course, one of the main stumbling blocks for many homeowners is that heat pumps aren’t cheap to install. This is where the Boiler Upgrade Scheme comes in, as it could help you cover some of the costs.

The Energy Saving Trust estimates that a heat pump can cost £6,000 to £8,000, while MoneySavingExpert puts the figure at £10,000 to £12,000. This means you’d need to stump up potentially another £1,000 to £7,000 on top of the grant for the installation.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is part of a £450million fund being provided by the Government. Through the initiative, most households who are eligible will be able to apply for £5,000 off the cost and installation of an