Thousands of homes in England and Wales will be eligible to receive a £9,000 grant to switch to a heat pump this summer, the Government has announced. This is an increase from the previous £7,500 grant that was available to help homes switch from fossil fuel buringing boilers.
Heat pumps are becoming a more popular heating choice due to the fact that they’re a more energy-efficient choice compared to a standard gas boiler, with lower running costs. They’re already hugely popular in countries with colder climates such as Norway, Finland and Sweden.
Heat pumps are powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels such as oil or gas, and this latest increase in the government’s boiler upgrade scheme funding is to help rural households in England and Wales make the move to a heat pump and protect them from fossil fuel spikes. Here’s everything you need to know.
On 26 June, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced that from 21 July, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is increasing by 20%, from £7,500 to £9,000, to help rural households switch from heating oil to heat pumps.
The Government says this grant will electrify families’ heating, meaning they are protected from future fossil price spikes and providing greater certainty over energy bills. If the latest Price Cap Announcement has left you worried about your energy bills, investing in a heat pump can be a smart choice if you’re looking to make your home more energy efficient and save money in the long run.
Leaflets about the scheme will be posted to 200,00 eligible households across England and Wales this week (week commencing 29 June), providing more information on how to claim the extra funding. You can also check your eligibility via the Gov.uk website, on the Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme page.
‘This government is determined to bring down energy bills, but I know the war in the Middle East has hit households on heating oil especially hard,’ said Minister for Energy Consumers Martin McCluskey.
‘We have already taken action to support these households through confirming over £50 million in support for vulnerable customers on heating oil.
‘Now, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will help thousands of families across England and Wales switch to clean heat to protect them from volatile fossil fuels.’
‘The Boiler Upgrade Scheme continues to play a vital role in supporting households to adopt heat pumps, and this £1,500 uplift will make the transition significantly more affordable for the thousands of oil-heated homes,’ says Charlotte Lee, CEO, Heat Pump Association UK.
‘Many of these households have faced considerable price uncertainty in recent months, without the protection of the energy price cap, and this £9,000 grant will help shield families from volatile fossil fuel costs, by using home-grown electricity, in the years ahead.’
If you’ve been considering installing a heat pump, you should check to see if you’re eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. They are an expensive investment, costing £12,500 on average according to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics. But the new increase in the grant available to certain households makes it a more affordable and accessible option.
As one of Ideal Home’s favourite brands, and winner of the Living Room Retailer of the Year in the 2026 Ideal Home Awards, it makes perfect sense for us to collaborate with Furniture Village and launch our very own style-forward range of sofas.
We wanted to create a truly versatile collection, with a sofa to suit any style of interior, from modern country retreats to smart new-builds and everything in between. Style credentials were an all-important factor when developing the range, but that doesn’t mean sacrificing longevity and practicality. All four of the designs in our newly-launched collection are built to last – just as you’d expect from the commitment to quality that Furniture Village is so well-known for. We’re excited to finally reveal the four designs, now available in-store and online.
First up we have Gemini, our quiet luxe showstopper. With its clean lines and modern silhouette, this sofa also boasts a smart feature to take comfort to the next level. At the touch of a button Gemini’s soft and inviting seats glide out to extend the seat depth and create the ultimate lounging spot.
Bringing luxury country-house vibes, the Cotswold sofa takes a country aesthetic and elevates it, thanks to design details like the buttoned scroll arms and turned wood legs. It will instantly add elegance to any room, and comes with coordinating scatter cushions plus a matching snuggler, armchair and footstool, which means you can create the perfect combination to suit your space.
Designed to inject contemporary glamour into a room, the Sienna has a refined design that features a higher back and curved arms for an effortlessly sophisticated look.
There’s a huge range of upholstery options to choose from – we love bold shades like the deep blue of Hudson Ocean for a touch of understated drama and decadence, especially when you match it to your walls for a colour-drenched space. For more pared-back schemes, there are gorgeously rich neutrals, such as Hudson Mink or Bella Barley White.
Versatile and hard-working, the Brondby combines smart, good looks with hard-wearing upholstery options, and a compact design that makes it the ideal solution for smaller spaces. With two corner options, two- and three-seater designs and a footstool that doubles as storage, the Brondby works hard to help you make the most of every inch. This sofa range has been designed with real homes in mind, balancing style and practicality to create beautiful furniture for everyday moments.
Check out the full Ideal Home collection at Furniture Village. Which is your favourite?
If you’re hosting guests this summer, a comfortable sofa bed is a must-have to ensure happy, relaxed guests and right now, IKEA’s stylish LANDSKRONA sofa bed is £500 off.
IKEA is holding one of its biggest-ever summer sales, slashing prices on up to 500 outdoor and home essentials. But it is the inclusion of some of the best sofa beds that caught our eye. While sofa beds can be high-ticket items, they are an essential if you’re a household that frequently hosts.
So, if you’ve been looking to upgrade your guest bedroom ideas, it may be wise to make the most of the IKEA summer sale. Here’s everything you need to know about the LANDSKRONA sofa bed.
Having spotted the LANDSKRONA Sofa Bed was reduced from £1,199 to £699, I immediately spoke to Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor and sofa bed expert Amy Lockwood to see if this was a good deal. Having tested countless IKEA sofa beds, she’s found the Swedish brand produces sofa beds that offer a great mix of style, comfort, and affordability.
‘Having spent the past five years testing some of the best sofa beds on the market, I’ve found that IKEA sofa beds are always great value for money. The fact that this sofa bed offers a double sleeping area – so it can sleep two guests at a time comfortably – and it has hidden storage makes it a great buy in my book,’ she told me.
The LANDSKRONA 3-seater sofa bed is made with thick grain leather on the exposed surfaces and treated fabric elsewhere. The hidden storage Amy mentions is underneath the seat, and is perfect for storing extra bed linen, duvets and pillows when not in use.
IKEA states the sofa is firm and comfortable to sit on, while its built-in slats enhance sleeping comfort once pulled out. The sofa bed comes with a 10-year guarantee, and you have to buy the legs separately.
This is not the only IKEA sofa bed to catch our attention. The recent PS collection £550 sofa bed nailed its brief of ‘playful functionality’, serving up an effortlessly stylish design. Alternatively, the Habitat Kota Sofa Bed is an affordable, yet stylish design home editors love, with Amy even going as far as to say: ‘it’s hard to find a better value three-seater sofa bed than the Kota.’
IKEA Summer Sale is running until Sunday, 12 July, so don’t hesitate to snag a great deal now. Alternatively, I’ve rounded up a few more stylish sofa beds for under £500 you can shop online.
Our best-rated affordable sofa bed, it’s hard to beat the Habitat Kota on price. It’s both stylish and comfortable, clicking into a small double bed.
This stunning sofa also offers loads of underseat storage, making it a great choice if you’re limited on space. I’m also a huge fan of its sleek, nazy colourway which makes it look so expensive.
Dusk is seriously underrated for its affordable, yet stylish home and furniture. Reviews say it is easy to put together and looks great, too.
IKEA sofa beds are a great value for money, even when not on sale. If you’re looking for a bed that will house extra guests and look good, too (without costing a bomb), the LANDSKRONA is a great choice.
