- No air-conditioning units have been installed under the Government's £2,500 grant scheme since it was announced.
- Industry leaders say delays in installer certification have left homeowners unable to access the funding.
- The setback comes as Britain experiences repeated heatwaves and growing demand for home cooling.
Britain's £2,500 air-conditioning grant scheme has yet to install a single unit, even as repeated heatwaves push more households to look for ways to keep their homes cool.
The air-con grant scheme, introduced under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, was designed to help homeowners install air-to-air heat pumps that provide both heating and cooling. However, seven months after the policy was announced and several months after applications opened, no vouchers have been issued and no installations have taken place.
Only 62 households applied for the grants during the scheme's first two months.
Money is available, but the system isn't
Industry bodies say the biggest obstacle is the lack of accredited installers.
Under the scheme, installations must be carried out by engineers certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). However, installers are currently unable to obtain certification because the required standards have not yet received final approval from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
As a result, homeowners can apply for funding but cannot find approved companies to carry out the work.
The MCS has reportedly said it is waiting for UKAS to complete the accreditation process, although no timetable has been given.
Energy experts argue the delay comes at the worst possible time. Britain has already recorded temperatures above 34°C on eight separate days this year, increasing demand for home cooling, particularly among older people, children and those with long-term health conditions.
Jess Ralston, Head of Energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, reportedly said official bodies needed to "get the finger out", adding that it was frustrating for households to see government funding sitting unused while the country experiences extreme heat.
More hurdles for homeowners
Industry representatives also say the scheme is too restrictive.
The grants are only available to homeowners replacing fossil fuel heating systems, meaning applicants must usually invest thousands of pounds beyond the £2,500 government contribution. A typical whole-house air-conditioning system costs between £4,000 and £7,000, leaving households to cover a significant share of the bill.
Bean Beanland, Director of External Affairs at the Heat Pump Federation, reportedly said the UK already has a mature air-conditioning industry capable of carrying out installations once certification becomes available. He argued the Government is "playing catch up" as demand for cooling continues to grow.
He also noted that air conditioning has historically been viewed as unnecessary in Britain, but said increasingly frequent periods of temperatures above 30°C are changing that perception.
There is currently no fully funded route for low-income households to install air-to-air heat pumps after the Government ended the previous Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme earlier this year. A replacement programme has yet to begin, leaving limited support for vulnerable households during periods of extreme heat.
The delays have also raised broader concerns about the UK's green home upgrade programmes. Industry figures argue that financial incentives alone are unlikely to succeed without enough trained installers to deliver the work.
