The scheme was expanded last year to include air-to-air heat pumps, which can be used for both cooling and heating
Households could get a free grant worth £2,500 to put toward the cost of air con in their home.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) was expanded last year to include air-to-air heat pumps, which can be used for both cooling and heating.
It means you can use this device to keep your home cool in the summer, and warm in the winter. Energy Saving Trust estimates that it costs about £1,900 for installation for one room, around £3,700 for a three-bed semi-detached home.
It comes as Britain swelters in its third heatwave of the summer. Another record was set on Thursday when the UK hit its eighth day at or above 34C in a calendar year.
You can apply for the BUS grant if you are a homeowner in England and Wales and you are replacing a fossil fuel or standard electric heating system.
If you are a renter, your landlord can choose to apply for it. But the scheme is not available for most new build properties, social housing, or if you have already been given Government help for a heat pump or biomass boiler.
If you are eligible, you will need to contact a MCS certified installer to get quotes for the work. They will apply on your behalf on the Ofgem website.
Minister for Energy Consumers Martin McCluskey previously said of the scheme: “Air-to-air heat pumps offer the best of both worlds – keeping you warm in winter while cooling you down when summer comes along.
“With heat pumps more popular than ever, we want to make sure as many people as possible can benefit, especially those in flats or small homes without central heating, so they have greater choice when upgrading their property.”
It comes as energy bills have risen after the Ofgem price cap rose by around 13% on July 1. For the typical household that pays by direct debit, the price cap increased from £1,641 to £1,862 a year.
The price cap will remain in place until October, when it will be updated again – and households have been warned not that bills will remain high.
Cornwall Insight said it expects a typical household to be facing a bill of £1,849 from October. This will land harder as people switch their heating back on as temperatures drop.
