The Isle of Man has its own heat pump grant scheme, Heat Wise Home, put forward by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) working with Manx Utilities and given Tynwald approval on 23 July 2026 — and it is not open yet. The figures are published. Households meeting the benefit, income and asset tests are in line for up to £16,000 as a full grant towards an air source heat pump; households inside the wider caps for an £8,000 grant plus up to £8,000 of interest-free credit through Manx Utilities. Nobody can apply today, and no opening date has been announced (update on the Heat Wise Home scheme, 14 August 2026). Separately, the current Energy Efficiency Scheme has entered a phased closure, and 30 September 2026 is the deadline to redeem vouchers already approved (costoflivingsupport.gov.im). The UK Boiler Upgrade Scheme and ECO4 are Great Britain schemes and do not extend to the Island.
What is the Heat Wise Home scheme?
Heat Wise Home is an Island scheme. DEFA put it forward working with Manx Utilities, and it is planned to run until April 2029 (gov.im news, 26 June 2026). It builds on the former Green Living Grant Scheme and the current Energy Efficiency Scheme, which between them "have benefitted 6500 homes", and it draws on the Manx Utilities Heat Pump Trial, "which has seen more than 150 installations" on the Island (netzero.im).
Announcing it, Clare Barber MHK, Minister for DEFA, said: "The proposed Heat Wise Home scheme would help residents across the Island live in warmer, healthier homes while spending less on energy" (gov.im news, 26 June 2026).
Approval and opening are two different things. Tynwald cleared the scheme on 23 July 2026, but as at the end of August 2026 it is still "not yet open", and the official line is to sign up to be notified when it launches (netzero.im, 14 August 2026). There is no application window, no published installer list, and no date.
How much is a heat pump grant worth here?
The scheme runs at two levels of support, and the difference between them is large. These are the published figures, as set out by netzero.im in August 2026.
| What is funded | Full support | Partial support |
|---|---|---|
| Air source heat pump | Up to £16,000 as a full grant | £8,000 grant, plus up to £8,000 of interest-free credit through Manx Utilities over up to ten years |
| Other energy-efficiency measures | Up to £7,000 as a full grant | 50% of eligible costs, up to £7,000 per household |
| Household gross income | No more than £60,000 a year | No more than £140,000 a year |
| Household assets | Below £30,000 single, £50,000 joint | No more than £60,000 |
Full support has a third test on top of the two caps: someone in the household must receive at least one qualifying benefit or allowance. The published list runs to State Pension, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Employed Person's Allowance, War Disablement Pension or qualifying Child Benefit. Partial support is set by the income and asset caps in the table above.
One detail worth reading twice: the £7,000 for energy-efficiency measures is "a household cap across all approved retrofit works under the scheme", not a per-job figure. Spend it on windows and it is not there for insulation later.
If your boiler is limping and you are weighing a heat pump against a straight replacement, our guide to what a new boiler costs on the Isle of Man sets out the like-for-like alternative.
What the grants cover, and what they leave out
Heat Wise Home is fabric-first: the thinking is that a home should hold its heat before you spend money generating it differently. Alongside air source heat pumps, the scheme covers radiator upgrades needed to support one — which matters, because a heat pump runs at a lower flow temperature and often needs bigger radiators than an oil or gas boiler did.
The wider measures list is long: loft, flat-roof, room-in-roof, pitched-roof, external-wall, internal-wall, underfloor and solid-floor insulation; high-performance external doors; single to double glazing, and replacement of end-of-life double glazing and doors; dMVHR ventilation, which is a decentralised mechanical ventilation unit with heat recovery; draught proofing, LED bulbs, radiator reflector panels, hot-water tank jackets, pipe insulation, smart heating controls, thermostatic radiator valves and chimney caps (netzero.im).
The exclusion that catches people out: "the scheme doesn't cover any solar technologies". No panels, no solar thermal. This is a heating and fabric scheme, and reading it that way saves a wasted quotation.
The Energy Efficiency Scheme is closing: the dates that matter
The scheme running now is not Heat Wise Home. It is the Energy Efficiency Scheme, and it "is now undergoing a phased closure" with four dates on it (costoflivingsupport.gov.im):
- 24 August 2026: closed to new applications.
- 30 September 2026: deadline for customers to redeem approved vouchers.
- 16 October 2026: deadline for scheduling installations.
- 31 October 2026: final date for installers to submit claims and invoices.
If you hold an approved voucher, the September date is the one to act on, and October is when your installer's paperwork has to be in. Two official pages currently describe the value of that support differently, so we are not going to print a figure that might be the wrong one; check the current terms on the official Energy Efficiency Scheme page before you commit to anything.
"The same products and measures will continue to be available under the new Heat Wise Home scheme when it launches" (costoflivingsupport.gov.im) — the gap is a timing gap, not a policy reversal.
Why UK heat pump grants do not apply on the Island
Search for a heat pump grant and most of what comes back is written for Great Britain. The UK Boiler Upgrade Scheme and ECO4 are Great Britain schemes and do not extend to the Isle of Man. The Island is a separate jurisdiction with its own energy policy, and Heat Wise Home is its answer to the same question.
The OZEV chargepoint grant is another Great Britain scheme that stops at the Island's shore, which is why our guide to EV charger installation on the Isle of Man treats the cost as a straight private job. Check a scheme's geography before you build a budget around it.
What is worth doing before the scheme opens
A heat pump works best in a house that already holds its heat, so insulation and draught-proofing are not a delay to the heat pump. They are what makes it worth having, and they are fundable in their own right when the scheme opens.
Three practical steps in the meantime. Keep your existing boiler serviced, because an unheated Manx winter is not the moment to discover a fault. Get your radiator sizes and pipework looked at honestly, since that is where a heat pump conversion is won or lost on a wet system. And when the approved installer list is published, ask any installer to confirm they are on it before you sign, rather than taking it on trust.
We work on heating and hot-water systems across the Island, so if you want a second opinion on what your system actually needs before a grant decides it for you, see our plumbing, heating and electrical services.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions the published sources settle.
Can I apply for a heat pump grant on the Isle of Man right now?
No. Heat Wise Home received Tynwald approval on 23 July 2026 but is "not yet open", and no opening date had been published as at the end of August 2026. The only step available is to register for notification.
Does the UK Boiler Upgrade Scheme apply on the Isle of Man?
No. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme and ECO4 are Great Britain schemes and do not extend to the Island. Manx households should be looking at Heat Wise Home; the Energy Efficiency Scheme closed to new applications on 24 August 2026.
Does Heat Wise Home pay for solar panels?
No. The published position is that "the scheme doesn't cover any solar technologies". It funds air source heat pumps, supporting radiator upgrades and a long list of fabric and efficiency measures, but not solar generation or storage.
I have an Energy Efficiency Scheme voucher. What do I need to do?
The scheme closed to new applications on 24 August 2026. Approved vouchers must be redeemed by 30 September 2026, installations scheduled by 16 October and installer claims submitted by 31 October. Check the current terms on the official page before you book anything.
How much could a Heat Wise Home grant be worth?
Up to £16,000 as a full grant towards an air source heat pump, or £8,000 plus up to £8,000 of interest-free Manx Utilities credit under partial support, with a further £7,000 household cap covering energy-efficiency works. Which tier applies depends on benefits, income and assets.
A scheme that has cleared Tynwald but has not opened is a reason to prepare, not a reason to sign anything today.