Heat Pump Grants in Truro: BUS, Warm Homes Help, Listed Homes & Langarth
Which grants apply to a heat pump in Truro, how listed and conservation-area homes are treated, and why new homes at Langarth Garden Village sit outside the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Truro's homes and heat pumps
Truro is Cornwall's only city and the base of Cornwall Council. Its housing runs from Georgian terraces on Lemon Street and Strangways Terrace to Victorian houses in Kenwyn, larger estates such as Trelander and Malabar, and villages on the edge of the city such as Threemilestone and Shortlanesend — so there is no single answer to whether a heat pump suits a Truro home. The survey decides it: a room-by-room heat loss calculation sizes the system and shows which radiators, if any, need upsizing for a heat pump's lower flow temperature.
Grants: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and help for lower-income households
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump, and until March 2027 £9,000 where a home heated by oil or LPG has no mains gas connection. The installer claims it and deducts it from your invoice, and heat pumps installed in homes are zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027. See heat pumps in Truro for how the grant and costs work on a Truro installation.
For lower-income households, the government's Warm Homes: Local Grant is arranged through the council: household income usually has to be £36,000 a year or less, the home must be privately owned or privately rented, and it needs an EPC rating of D to G. HEAT Cornwall, run by Happy Energy Solutions Ltd, also lists limited grants towards heat pumps depending on the property type, and at the time of writing reports a backlog of applications.
Langarth Garden Village and new builds
Langarth Garden Village, on the north-western edge of Truro, was granted planning permission for around 3,550 homes in 2021. Homes bought new there are outside the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which excludes new-build homes other than self-builds.
Listed and conservation-area homes
Many houses on Lemon Street, Strangways Terrace and in Ferris Town are listed. A listed building has no permitted development rights for a heat pump, so it needs planning permission and, where the work affects its character, listed building consent. On an unlisted house in Truro's conservation area, the outdoor unit keeps permitted development provided it is not on a wall or roof fronting a highway and not nearer a highway than the house. Our guide do you need planning permission for a heat pump in Truro? walks through the rules, including the MCS 020 a) noise limit of 37.0 dB(A).
Solar panel pairing
Adding solar panels lets a heat pump use some of your own generation, mostly in spring and summer. See our Truro solar guide and the combined solar and heat pump guide.
Book a free survey
CCS Heating & Renewables is an MCS-certified heat pump installer based at Pool Business Park near Redruth, about 8 miles west of Truro. We survey and install air source heat pumps across TR1, TR3 and TR4 and apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant on your behalf. Book your free Truro heat pump survey.
Need personalised advice?
Our MCS certified engineers can answer your questions and provide a free, no-obligation assessment for your property.