Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, has welcomed the announcement from the Conservative Government that grants for heat pumps are being increased to £7,500.
The local MP supported Rishi Sunak's decision to delay the ban on installing new fossil fuel boilers off the gas grid in England until 2035 after hearing from residents concerned about the cost of switching.
Alongside delaying the ban to give people more time to switch, the Conservatives have also increased the incentive for households on and off the grid to make the switch to low carbon heating technologies.
The funding increase will see a grant for air source heat pumps rise by 50 per cent, from £5,000 to £7,500 and for ground source heat pumps it has also increased from £6,000 to £7,500. This is one of the most generous schemes in Europe and means that for some households, the cost of replacing a boiler with a heat pump or equivalent is the same or sometimes cheaper than replacing with a traditional fossil fuel boiler.
Ben Everitt MP said: “I’m delighted the Conservative Government is investing in supporting more people to make the switch to heat pumps by increasing the grants to £7,500.
“Delaying the ban on new fossil fuel boilers until 2035 was totally sensible, pragmatic and Conservative policy on heat pumps which helps takes pressure off households and builders, especially in the SME sector.”
Claire Coutinho, the Energy Security Secretary, commented: "No one should have to choose between cutting costs and cutting emissions - our pragmatic approach means we can continue to deliver on our ambitious net zero targets without unfairly hitting the pockets of hardworking families.
"From today, for some households starting prices for heat pumps could now be below the average gas boiler, as we have increased the cash grant by 50% to £7,500 – making our scheme one of the most generous in Europe.
"This will help thousands of people across the country reduce their energy use and keep their homes warm."
Earlier in the year Ben met with a group of residents in Clifton Reynes to discuss their potential plans for a community energy scheme using heat pumps.
The Government is committed to a goal of installing 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028.
