PumpSwap UK Media & Press Resources
Data, story angles, and expert commentary for journalists covering the UK's energy transition, from the gas price cap to the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme. We maintain a town-level energy cost dataset for the UK.
Ready-Made Story Angles
These angles are grounded in verified public data (Ofgem price cap announcements, gov.uk and DESNZ scheme rules, MCS installation requirements, Home Energy Scotland) plus PumpSwap UK pricing data. We can provide supporting data, regional breakdowns, and quotes for any of them.
Gas bills jump again: the Ofgem cap gas rate rises 27% on 1 July 2026
The price cap gas unit rate goes from 5.74p to 7.33p/kWh in a single quarter, lifting typical dual-fuel bills around 13%. For the roughly 85% of GB homes heating with a mains-gas boiler, the maths of replacing it is changing fast. PumpSwap UK can provide region-level heating-mix context and post-grant heat pump cost data.
The £7,500 grant most boiler-replacers never hear about at the point of sale
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off an air-to-water heat pump in England and Wales, the installer claims it so it comes straight off the quote, the EPC-certificate precondition was removed on 28 April 2026, and the scheme is extended to 2030. A £2,500 air-to-air tier was added in 2026. PumpSwap UK publishes what homeowners actually pay after the grant, town by town.
Oil-heated homes get £9,000 from 21 July 2026, and most do not know
Around 15% of homes are off the gas grid, mostly rural and heating with oil or LPG. From 21 July 2026 they qualify for an uplifted £9,000 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, expected to run to around March 2027. The South West has England's highest share of oil-heated homes. PumpSwap UK can map the off-gas opportunity by region.
Scotland does it differently: grant plus interest-free loan up to £15,000 of support
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not apply in Scotland. Home Energy Scotland offers a grant up to £7,500 (£9,000 with the rural and island uplift) plus up to £7,500 more as an optional interest-free loan. PumpSwap UK explains both schemes side by side.
Northern Ireland is the gap in the UK heat pump map
NI has no Boiler Upgrade Scheme equivalent and most homes heat with oil. The 0% VAT relief still applies, but the grant story stops at the Irish Sea. PumpSwap UK says so plainly on every Northern Ireland page rather than implying a grant exists.
The quiet £1,000-3,000 saving: 0% VAT on heat pump, solar and battery installs until 31 March 2027
Residential installations are zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027, then 5%. It is automatic and baked into quotes, which is exactly why few homeowners realise it is there or that it is time-limited. PumpSwap UK flags it on every cost page.
Data We Can Provide
- Town-level indicative installed pricing for air source heat pumps, solar, batteries, and EV chargers, before and after the grant
- Brand-by-brand cost comparisons for brands with verified UK market presence
- Regional heating-mix context (mains gas vs oil and LPG, editorial estimates)
- Region-by-region cost index reports with methodology
- Metro vs rural price gap analysis
- Climate zone impact on system sizing and output (mild south coast to colder Scotland)
- Grant and incentive landscape summaries: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Home Energy Scotland, 0% VAT, and where support does not exist
- Community-submitted quote data as it accumulates (never faked)
Published Cost Indices
Our cost index reports provide region-by-region breakdowns with full methodology. Ideal for citing in articles.
Expert Commentary
Josh James, founder of PumpSwap, is available for expert commentary on:
- - UK household energy costs and the quarterly price cap
- - Air source heat pump adoption and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
- - Solar, battery storage, and SEG export economics for homeowners
- - The UK incentive landscape: what exists (BUS, Home Energy Scotland, 0% VAT) and what does not (no scheme in Northern Ireland, no EV purchase grant)
- - Metro vs rural energy cost disparities
Contact: press@pumpswap.com.au
Cite Our Data
Journalists, researchers, and bloggers are welcome to cite PumpSwap UK data with attribution. Preferred citation format:
Source: PumpSwap UK [Report Name], [Month Year]. pumpswap.co.uk/[page-url]Example: Source: PumpSwap UK Air Source Heat Pump Cost Index, June 2026. pumpswap.co.uk/air-source-heat-pump/cost-index
Need data for a story?
We respond to media enquiries within 24 hours and can provide custom data pulls for your coverage area.
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