Thousands of households handed up to £7,500 to make energy-saving home upgrade

After two years of sky-high energy prices that have almost doubled the cost of switching on the heating or making a brew, thousands of households are seeking out ways to invest in their home and slash their energy bills. One of the most popular ways to do this is through getting a heat pump installed, but cost has been a barrier in the past.

However, financial help of up to £7,500 from the government as well as cheap heat pump tariffs from suppliers has led to a 93 per cent jump in applications for help with installation. Tens of thousands of households have now benefitted from the Boiler Upgrades Scheme, according to new data, with the average household getting £5,920 towards future-proofing their homes.

Data released by Ofgem shows that there have been more than 40,000 applications in total, with the scheme having paid out over 25,000 grants so far, with more than £148 million in total paid out.

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Heat pumps are more energy efficient than traditional boilers, capturing energy from their surroundings and converting it into heat for your home and hot water. With a 50 per cent cash boost to the scheme introduced in October, as well as new heat pump tariffs from Octopus and British Gas that knock around £400 off your annual bills, it is now cheaper for many to upgrade to the eco heat pump over traditional gas or oil-powered boilers.

More families in England and Wales have now taken up this support, with the average monthly applications between November and April up 49 per cent to 2,136 applications compared to 1,435, the monthly average before grants were increased.

Households with a heat pump can now take advantage of a wide