The North West's leader on grants
Between May 2022 and September 2026, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme paid for 892 heat pumps in Cheshire East. No other single council area in the North West has more; Westmorland and Furness comes next with 873. That is about one grant-funded heat pump for every 196 households counted in 2021.
Who heats with what
Most Cheshire East homes are on gas: 76.9% of households used mains gas alone in 2021. The minority that is not is large by national standards. 7,441 households used oil alone, 4.3% against 3.5% across England and Wales, and 3,006 used tank or bottled gas. 9,714 relied on electric heating. DESNZ estimates that 11.55% of domestic properties had no gas meter in 2024.
The homes
Cheshire East is a county of detached houses: 63,928 households, 36.6%, lived in one in 2021, against 23.2% nationally. Another 32.5% lived in semi-detached houses. 71.9% of households owned their home, well above the national 61.6%. Detached homes can have up to two air source units under Class G and more often have land for a ground loop; owner-occupation matters because the Boiler Upgrade Scheme needs an owner.
Planning
The national planning dataset records 2,681 listed-building entries in Cheshire East, the most of the three areas. Class G does not cover listed buildings, so a heat pump on one needs planning permission. The dataset holds only part of the council's conservation areas, so use the council's own maps to check whether a home is in one. See planning rules.
Help with the cost
- The Boiler Upgrade Scheme: £7,500 off an installer's quote, or £9,000 for an oil or LPG home with no mains gas until 31 March 2027.
- The Warm Homes: Local Grant, which Cheshire East manages for the three-council consortium, for homes rated EPC D, E, F or G and households within its income limits, until 31 March 2028.
The route finder shows which fits a particular home.