Ofgem Product Eligibility List: what installers still need to check

A model number on a spreadsheet is useful. It is not permission to stop checking the job.

That distinction matters because the Product Eligibility List sits early in the quoting process. It is easy for a product match to be treated as proof that the whole installation qualifies. Ofgem's wording is much narrower: the list helps identify products that could be eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Ofgem refreshed the list on 23 July 2026 and repeated the warning in plain terms. Installers must not rely on it alone.

Ofgem Product Eligibility List: what it actually confirms

The Ofgem list is an administrative aid. Its entries are drawn from the MCS certified product directory. For a heat pump, appearance on the list shows that the product meets the MCS standards approved for BUS. For a biomass boiler, the list also deals with the required emissions certificate.

That is the boundary. Product certification tells you about the unit. It does not approve the proposed installation around it.

The installation can still fail the rules

Ofgem says an application may be rejected even when the product appears on the list. The reason is simple: BUS eligibility belongs to the complete installation, not the appliance in isolation.

Among other things, the current installer guidance requires the proposed system to satisfy rules around:

• property location and ownership;
• the heating system being replaced;
• the proposed heat pump type and configuration;
• full space-heating and hot-water capability;
• system capacity and cascade limits;
• supplementary heating and hybrid arrangements;
• commissioning and application timing;
• other public funding or ECO support; and
• the standards in force when the system is commissioned.

For the current £9,000 off-gas grid route, there are further checks around the existing fuel, gas-meter record and proposed technology. Our BUS uplift checklist covers those separately.

SCOP is not checked by the list

This is the easiest detail to miss because it looks as though it should belong to the product record. Ofgem expressly states that the list does not consider a heat pump's seasonal coefficient of performance. The installer has to calculate and check that separately.

Under the current BUS requirements, air-to-water and ground source heat pumps need a minimum SCOP of 2.8. That number should not be copied from an unrelated product variant or assumed from the manufacturer name. The exact model and proposed design conditions matter.

Where the property survey fits

The survey cannot decide every grant condition, but it provides much of the evidence needed to design and quote the right system. A product selection made against poor property information can be technically listed and commercially wrong at the same time.

Before the office commits to a model, the job record should make the following clear:

A strong heat pump survey therefore sits before final product selection, not after it. The point is not to create paperwork. It is to stop the design team choosing from the right list using the wrong property inputs.

A missing model is not an automatic refusal

The Ofgem list is not exhaustive. Ofgem acknowledges that some products in the MCS certified product directory may meet the BUS product requirements without appearing on its spreadsheet.

That does not mean an installer should simply treat a missing product as eligible. It means the absence is not, by itself, the final answer. Check the precise model in the MCS directory, keep the certification details with the job and follow the current Ofgem installer guidance. Manufacturers cannot ask Ofgem to add products to the list on demand.

The same care is needed when two models have nearly identical names. Record the full manufacturer, product name, model and certification reference. A shortened sales description is a poor substitute when the MCS certificate and redemption record are checked later.

A practical check before quote, commissioning and redemption

The safest process is to check the product more than once, because the standards relevant to eligibility are those in force at commissioning.

1. Before quoting: confirm the exact model in the Ofgem list and MCS directory, then check the property and proposed system route against current BUS guidance.
2. During design: confirm heat demand, emitter requirements, system configuration, SCOP and any supplementary heating.
3. Before commissioning: recheck the model and the standards that apply on the commissioning date.
4. Before redemption: make sure the model reference, MCS certificate, commissioning record, invoice and application all describe the same installation.

If one of those records uses a family name and another uses an exact variant, resolve it before submission. Small naming differences are much easier to fix while the job is live than after Ofgem asks for clarification.

Common installer questions

Does appearing on the list guarantee BUS eligibility?

No. It helps confirm the product-standard part of the rules. The property, system, installation and application still have to meet the rest of the scheme requirements.

Does Ofgem check SCOP through the spreadsheet?

No. Ofgem says SCOP is outside the list. For current air-to-water and ground source BUS installations, the minimum is 2.8 and it must be checked separately.

What if the product is not listed?

Do not assume either eligibility or ineligibility. The list is not exhaustive. Check the exact product in the MCS directory and use the current Ofgem installer guidance for the next step.

Can a survey make a product BUS eligible?

No. A survey cannot change a product's certification. It gives the designer the property evidence needed to select and size an appropriate system and helps the installer keep a defensible job record.

Official sources