Start with Grant – an installer’s journey through the Scheme

The number of low carbon heating systems being installed each year is increasing but to achieve the heat pump installation targets set for the future, more heat pump installers will be needed. To help traditional fossil fuel heating engineers make the transition to low carbon heat pumps, Start with Grant is providing eligible installers with the opportunity to access free training, a fully funded Grant heat pump system for their home, and free system design and commissioning support. The aim of the Scheme is to give installers who have not previously worked with heat pumps the chance to install and live with the technology, developing their understanding of heat pumps and in turn sharing this insight with their customers.

Quick links for this case study…

Here, we follow Tom Newman from Newman Combustion Ltd who installed a Grant Aerona 290 air-to-water heat pump in his home through Start with Grant. In this case study, we will share:

• An introduction to the Start with Grant Scheme
• The Start with Grant eligibility criteria
• Details about Aerona 290 heat pump training
• Information about this installer’s old heating system
• How the installer found installing a new Grant heat pump
• The onsite technical support available through Start with Grant
• The final steps of the Start with Grant process

An introduction to Start with Grant

Organised in partnership with NESTA, Start with Grant is open to eligible installers in England and Wales who have not installed, serviced or maintained air source heat pumps. Through the Scheme (which is funded through Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant), installers receive a fully funded heat pump system for their home supplied by Grant UK with training, design and technical support provided as well.

Here’s a step-by-step summary of how Start with Grant works:

• Step 1 – Installer must ensure they meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme
• Step 2 – Apply for the Scheme via the Grant UK website
• Step 3 – Complete free air source heat pump training through Grant UK’s Training Academy or eLearning Academy
• Step 4 – Working with Grant UK’s Design Team and MCS Partner, a heat loss calculation of the installer’s home is carried out to MCS standards and the system is sized
• Step 5 – Grant UK’s MCS Partner applies for the DNO and obtains BUS approvals
• Step 6 – Grant UK arrange the delivery of the products to the installer’s home
• Step 7 – Installer completes the heat pump installation before one of Grant UK’s in-house engineers visit site to check and commission the system
• Step 8 – The installed system is registered for its guarantee with Grant UK, the MCS handover pack is issued and once the BUS grant funds are released, the installer receives £1,500 towards their installation costs.

So, now you know how the Scheme works, let’s speak to an installer who has been through Start with Grant.

Meet the installer

Tom Newman is the Director of Newman Combustion Ltd, an installation company based Hindhead, Hampshire. “I’ve spent over twenty years in the gas and oil industry, specifying, installing and servicing high-efficiency oil boilers – a lot of them Grant boilers – for commercial and domestic heating systems across Surrey and Hampshire,” Tom explains. Newman Combustion Ltd have been G1 Installer for Grant boilers since 2017 but in recent years, Tom’s interest in air source heat pumps has grown. Following a house move in 2025 and after hearing about Start with Grant, the time was right for Tom to install his first heat pump.

“Start with Grant provides a great opportunity for engineers like me to get to grips with heat pumps first hand through upgrading their own heating system,” says Tom. “This was a good chance to use many of the skills I had learnt on the tools as a Gas Safe Engineer and an oil boiler installer. It felt like the perfect real-world test and real proof for the people I advise that heat pumps are actually an option for them.”

Fulfilling the Start with Grant eligibility criteria

Before Tom applied for Start with Grant, he ensured he met the Scheme’s requirements. In addition to holding the relevant experience and qualifications as a heating engineer, Tom’s property also had to meet certain criteria, principally through the provision of a valid EPC which confirmed that Tom’s home was fitted with either an existing fossil fuel or direct electric heating system. As Tom explains here, his home was previously using electric storage heaters which were proving costly to run.

“Our home is a three-bedroom 1960s timber-frame bungalow,” Tom writes. “The place was completely off-grid for gas, heated only by old electric night storage heaters. Its heating bills were sky-high, the heating was patchy, and the system was dated. Shortly after moving into the property in Summer 2025, I heard about Start with Grant - Grant's air source heat pumps have been on my radar for years and I hoped their engineering would be every bit as solid as their oil boilers. So, instead of staying electric or trying to find another fuel, I was keen to try a heat pump in my own house.”

R290 heat pump training with Grant UK

After submitting his application, Tom’s next step in the Start with Grant process was to complete an air source heat pump training course with the Grant UK Training Academy. Tom opted to complete the Aerona 290 Air Source Heat Pump Installer on-demand online course through the Grant eLearning Academy. Through this course, Tom learned about the Aerona 290 units, the key principles of operation, installation, maintenance and servicing, as well as learning about the Aerona Smart Heat Pump Controller.

Swapping out the old heating system

Grant UK’s in-house Design Team worked with Tom to review his home’s heat loss as well as calculating the correct sized heat pump and system that would be needed to fulfil the property’s space heating and hot water demand. When the room-by-room heat loss was being completed, Tom’s knew he wanted to improve the fabric efficiency of his home so he soon got to work adding new insulation to the walls and roof.

“When I knew we were upgrading the heating system, I didn’t want to just swap the heaters,” explains Tom. “To achieve the efficiencies I wanted, we reinsulated all the walls with 100mm of Celotex and we also added an extra 200mm of Rockwool in the roof. The old night storage heaters came out completely and we opted for a full wet underfloor heating system (not included in the Start with Grant package) laid throughout the bungalow. Through the underfloor, we’re maintaining an even, low temperature of heat underfoot.”

Installing the new Aerona 290 ASHP

With the heat loss calculation and the system design completed and after Grant UK’s MCS Partner has applied for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme voucher and made the application to the DNO, Tom was able to take delivery of his new Grant heating system and start the installation. Tom’s fully funded heat pump system supplied through Start with Grant included:

• Aerona 290 6.5kW air source heat pump
• Aerona Smart Controller
• Quick Recovery 2 Single Coil 210L cylinder
• Grant Heat Pump Installation Pack P
• 50L Internal Volumiser.

“I installed the heat pump shortly after Christmas,” Tom continues. “I’ve routed the pipework carefully and ensured the Aerona 290 6.5kW unit is situated correctly with a solid concrete base beneath the heat pump feet and sufficient clearances around the heat pump.”

Onsite set-up and commissioning support

After all the products were installed, one of Grant UK’s in-house Engineers, Frank Honnor, attended Tom’s home to commission the heat pump system. After checking, testing and commissioning the system, Frank completed the remaining post-installation paperwork with Tom which was then shared with Grant UK’s MCS Partner to complete the MCS documentation for the installation.

“Frank was very friendly and knowledgeable, and the commissioning went smoothly,” Tom explains. “He spent a couple of hours onsite, talked through the settings, and checked everything over. The heat pump has performed well over the past couple of months, even during colder spells, giving me real confidence in the system.”

Final steps of Start with Grant process

Following the site visit by Frank, Tom’s new heat pump system was up and running, keeping his rooms warm and heating the hot water to his taps. As part of the Start with Grant scheme, Tom was able to add Air Source Heat Pump Accreditation to his G1 membership, he activated a 7 year guarantee on his Aerona 290 heat pump, and his heat pump installation was MCS certified. Furthermore, through Start with Grant, Tom will receive £1,500 towards the installation costs, funded from the remaining BUS grant.

“I'm keen to see how the heat pump performs with running costs and I hope to push heat pumps in my business as a good alternative to conventional fuels,” concludes Tom. “So far, the system is running smoothly - the Aerona 290 is quiet and provides even heat with no cold spots. Once we've got a full season of data including electricity use, running costs and comfort levels, we'll see the true savings and efficiency gains compared to the old storage heaters.”