Heat pumps and the grant in Nelson, Lancashire

Updated 13 October 2026

What can you get in Nelson?

If you own your home in Nelson, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays towards a heat pump, as it does across England and Wales. Most homes in Nelson heat with mains gas, and swapping a gas boiler for a heat pump gets the standard £7,500. At least twice the England and Wales share of Nelson's homes date from before 1919, so the survey starts with heat loss. Tell us about your home and an installer will call you.

We match you with MCS-certified installers who cover Nelson.

Nelson in figures

For the Nelson (Pendle) built-up area as the Office for National Statistics draws it, beside the same figure for England and Wales. Shares from the 2021 Census are of households; the build-date share is of homes whose build date the Valuation Office Agency records. The grant count covers all of Pendle.

Heated only by mains gas: 81.4%; England and Wales: 73.8%; Census 2021, Office for National Statistics, of households.
Heated only by oil or LPG: 0.7%; England and Wales: 4.5%; Census 2021, Office for National Statistics, of households.
Heated only by electricity: 3.3%; England and Wales: 8.5%; Census 2021, Office for National Statistics, of households.
Homes built before 1919: 61.7%; England and Wales: 20.8%; Valuation Office Agency, 31 March 2025, of homes with a recorded build date.
Living in a terraced house: 58.6%; England and Wales: 23.2%; Census 2021, Office for National Statistics, of households.
Living in a flat: 9.1%; England and Wales: 21.7%; Census 2021, Office for National Statistics, of households.
Own their home: 54.0%; England and Wales: 61.6%; Census 2021, Office for National Statistics, of households.
Rent privately: 30.7%; England and Wales: 20.3%; Census 2021, Office for National Statistics, of households.
Conservation areas: At least 1; planning.data.gov.uk, 2026.
Heat pump grants paid: 65 in Pendle; Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics, DESNZ, May 2022 to June 2026. Covers the whole of Pendle, not only Nelson.

What does the grant look like for a home on mains gas in Nelson?

81.4% of households in Nelson were heated only by mains gas in 2021, against 73.8% across England and Wales (Census 2021).

Replacing a gas boiler, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump. The higher £9,000 rate is for homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas connection.

Whether a heat pump costs less to run than gas depends heavily on your tariff. Ask the installer to show you the running cost on the tariff you would actually use.

Does a heat pump work in Nelson's older houses?

61.7% of Nelson's homes with a recorded build date were built before 1919, against 20.8% across England and Wales (Valuation Office Agency, 2025).

Age alone does not rule a heat pump out. What matters is how much heat the house loses, and most homes built before 1919 have solid walls rather than cavity walls.

So the survey should start with a room-by-room heat-loss calculation. The installer may suggest bigger radiators in some rooms, so the system can run at a lower temperature. Ask to see the calculation before you agree to a quote.

Where does the outdoor unit go on a terraced house?

58.6% of households in Nelson lived in a terraced house in 2021, against 23.2% across England and Wales (Census 2021).

An air source heat pump has an outdoor unit, usually at the back of the house, in a yard or on a wall facing it. On a terrace that space is often small and close to the neighbours.

The installer works out where the unit can sit, how close it is to the boundary and how much the neighbours would hear it. Where it goes also decides whether planning permission is needed, and the installer checks that too.

Can landlords in Nelson get the grant?

30.7% of households in Nelson rented privately in 2021, against 20.3% across England and Wales (Census 2021).

Yes, landlords can apply for the heat pump grant. You must own the property. There is no income or means test, and your installer claims the grant from Ofgem for you.

If you rent your home, the decision is your landlord’s. You can point them here.

Does a conservation area change anything in Nelson?

Nelson has at least 1 conservation area on the national planning data register (MHCLG, 2026).

If your home is in a conservation area, check with Pendle's planning team before you agree where the outdoor unit goes. The installer can tell you what the council will want to know.

What happens after you enquire?

Three quick questions about your property.
The installer we match you with will call you to go through what the Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers.
On that call they will ask about your current heating and answer your questions. If a heat pump suits your home, they will arrange a survey from there.
Your installer claims the grant from Ofgem for you. You never apply yourself.

One installer, nobody else.

Related guides

I have an oil boiler — how much does a heat pump install really cost me?

What does it really cost to replace an oil boiler with a heat pump?

Sources

Built-up Areas (December 2022) and the output area and LSOA best-fit lookups, Office for National Statistics. December 2022 boundaries; lookups read 2026-10-13. Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2022.
Ceremonial Counties (2011) boundaries in England and Wales, Office for National Statistics. CMCTY 2011 super generalised clipped boundaries; read 2026-10-13. Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2011.
Census 2021: TS001, TS044, TS046 and TS054, Office for National Statistics (via Nomis). Census 2021, output-area tables. Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021, licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0.
Council Tax: stock of properties 2025, table CTSOP4.1 (build period), Valuation Office Agency. Properties at 31 March 2025, published 22 May 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains public sector information from the Valuation Office Agency, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Conservation area dataset, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (planning.data.gov.uk). Read 2026-10-13. Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics: August 2026, table Q1.2, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Published 24 September 2026; redemptions paid May 2022 to June 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.