Replace an Oil or LPG Boiler with an Air Source Heat Pump in Ballymoney, NI
Like most of Northern Ireland, homes around Ballymoney largely heat with oil. An air source heat pump replaces the tank, the deliveries and the price swings with electric heating at a SCOP of roughly 3.8 to 4.5. There is no grant scheme in Northern Ireland, so the case rests on running costs and convenience, with 0% VAT (until 31 March 2027) already in quotes.
The heating picture in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is a genuinely different market: most homes heat with OIL, not mains gas, and there is currently no Boiler Upgrade Scheme equivalent - the £7,500 grant does not apply here. The 0% VAT relief still does. Heat pump economics rest on oil-price exposure and running-cost savings rather than grants; limited efficiency support exists via NI schemes (see nidirect.gov.uk).
Read the full Boiler Upgrade Scheme guideCost Comparison
| Cost Factor | Oil or LPG Boiler | Air Source Heat Pump |
|---|---|---|
| Annual heating cost, ~10,000 kWh of heat (est.) | ~£720/yr (oil, editorial est.) | £560 - £660/yr |
| Deliveries, tank and price swings | Yes | None |
| Installed cost (no grant in NI) | - | £8,250 - £14,250 |
Estimates for a home needing about 10,000 kWh of heat a year at Ofgem price cap averages (electricity ~25p/kWh; gas 5.74p/kWh Apr-Jun 2026 and 7.33p/kWh from 1 July 2026; the cap changes quarterly). A 90%-efficient boiler and a heat pump at SCOP 3.8-4.5 are assumed; heating oil is an editorial estimate. Standing charges excluded unless noted. Installed prices are indicative, June 2026, with 0% VAT already applied. Actual costs depend on your tariff, home and usage.
Why oil homes switch
Oil heating means a tank to maintain, deliveries to schedule, and a price that moves with the oil market. A heat pump replaces all three with metered electricity. In Northern Ireland there is no Boiler Upgrade Scheme equivalent, so compare quotes carefully; 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 is already reflected, and limited efficiency support is listed on nidirect.gov.uk.
How to Switch from a Oil or LPG Boiler to an Air Source Heat Pump in Ballymoney
Get a heat-loss survey
A local installer visits your Ballymoney home and calculates heat loss room by room. Oil-heated homes usually already have radiators and a cylinder, which the survey checks for compatibility with lower flow temperatures.
Choose your unit and confirm the quote
Grant Aerona3 is the established oil-belt favourite and every other UK-market brand also handles rural retrofits; ask for low-temperature output figures. The quote should cover decommissioning the oil or LPG boiler and dealing with the tank.
Confirm the final price
Northern Ireland has no Boiler Upgrade Scheme equivalent, so the quoted installed price is the full price, with 0% VAT (until 31 March 2027) already reflected. Compare two or three quotes on identical scope before committing.
Installation and tank decommissioning
The heat pump, cylinder (if yours needs upgrading) and controls go in, the system is commissioned, and the oil or LPG boiler is decommissioned. Tank removal or decommissioning is agreed in the quote. Any gas work on an LPG system must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Grants and Support in Ballymoney, NI
The honest answer: Northern Ireland currently has no Boiler Upgrade Scheme equivalent, whatever system you are replacing. What helps: 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 (already in quotes) and limited efficiency support via nidirect.gov.uk. Accurate as at June 2026.
No Boiler Upgrade Scheme equivalent in Northern Ireland
The £7,500 grant available in England and Wales does not apply here. Budget the full installed price of £8,250 - £14,250 (indicative, June 2026).
0% VAT on heat pump, solar and battery installations
Residential installations of heat pumps, solar panels and home batteries are zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027 (then 5%). Applied automatically by the installer - typically worth £1,000-3,000 on a heat pump job versus standard 20% VAT.
What happens to my old oil or LPG boiler and tank?
Your installer decommissions the boiler and agrees what happens to the tank: removal, or draining and decommissioning in place. Any work on an LPG gas system must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. From then on there are no deliveries to schedule, no tank to maintain, and no exposure to oil price swings; your heating runs on electricity at a SCOP of roughly 3.8 to 4.5.
Replacing a Different System?
Note: mains gas is rare across most of Northern Ireland, so many homes here heat with oil, LPG, or electric systems instead.
Where are you?
See indicative costs and local installers for your area