Grant UK, a British manufacturer of heating systems, has launched a version of Nesta’s Start at Home initiative to heating engineers across England and Wales. The new programme, called Start with Grant, gives fossil fuel boiler installers who haven’t ever fitted a heat pump the opportunity to install a fully-funded Grant air source heat pump system in their own home with full technical support.
Nesta’s original Start at Home initiative was created to help build confidence in heat pump technology among installers by giving them the chance to live with the systems themselves. The aim is to develop a growing network of professionals who can speak with authority and credibility when recommending low-carbon heating to customers. By partnering with Nesta on this project, Grant says it is delivering a version of the programme that is tailored to its products and services, providing an offering from training to MCS certification through Heat Pump Go’s umbrella scheme.
Installers will receive a fully-funded Grant Aerona air source heat pump, available up to 12kW, alongside a hot water cylinder of up to 210 litres, a 50-litre volumiser, a smart controller, and a complete heat pump installation kit. These components are delivered directly from Grant to the property where the installation will take place.
To support the installation process, Grant provides technical assistance including tailored system design and heat pump product training. Once the system is in place, on-site commissioning is arranged to ensure everything is working as expected. Installers do not need to be MCS certified to take part – Grant has partnered with Heat Pump Go, whose MCS Umbrella Scheme handles the certification.
Following completion and MCS sign-off of the installation, Grant will also provide a £1,500 contribution towards installation costs. This amount is transferred from the remaining balance of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant.
Installers who take part in the scheme will become eligible to join Grant’s G1 Scheme if they’re not already members. This brings a seven-year guarantee for their own heat pump and the opportunity to extend the same seven-year guarantee cover to future customer heat pump installations. The scheme additionally opens the door to future access to BUS funding through Heat Pump Go, allowing installers to offer BUS-eligible installations.
“This isn’t just about installing a heat pump,” claims Anna Wakefield, Head of Internal Sales and Marketing at Grant. “It’s about helping installers understand the technology, build their confidence, and become genuine advocates for low-carbon heating. When they can speak from personal experience, it transforms how they connect with customers. Start with Grant gives them that insight and reassurance.”
Madeleine Gabriel, Director of Nesta’s Sustainable Future Mission, says, “If we want to get more heat pumps in homes, then we need to start with installers. Making it free and easy for installers to get one in their own home knocks down a big barrier to [both] growing the workforce and the market for heat pumps. We’re delighted to see Grant take forward the idea and we are excited to work with them in the months ahead.”
For more from Grant UK, click here.
