Is there a heat pump grant on the Isle of Man?
The short answer
Yes, approved but not yet open. Heat Wise Home offers up to £16,000 towards an air source heat pump.
Tynwald approved the Heat Wise Home scheme on 23 July 2026. Households that qualify for full support could get up to £16,000 towards an air source heat pump. Others could get an £8,000 grant plus up to £8,000 of interest-free credit through Manx Utilities. When we checked, the scheme was not yet taking applications.
Heat pumps are not solar, but they are part of the same decision for many island homes: how to make, use and pay for electricity at home. This guide sets out the new grant, the planning rules, the electrical rules and the Manx Utilities tariff, all from the official sources, with the date we read them.
The Heat Wise Home grant
Heat Wise Home was put forward by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture working with Manx Utilities. It funds air source heat pumps, the radiator upgrades needed for one, insulation, windows, doors and ventilation, and smaller energy-saving measures. It offers two levels of help:
| Level | Heat pump | Energy efficiency works | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full support | Up to £16,000 grant | Up to £7,000 grant | At least one qualifying benefit or allowance, assets below £30,000 (single) or £50,000 (joint), and household income no more than £60,000 a year |
| Partial support | £8,000 grant, plus up to £8,000 interest-free credit through Manx Utilities over up to ten years | Half the cost, up to £7,000 | Assets no more than £60,000 and household income no more than £140,000 a year |
The qualifying benefits listed include the State Pension, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance and others, and the scheme may ask for evidence of income, benefits and savings. The £7,000 for efficiency works is a household cap across all approved works. The scheme lists its supported works as an initial set, and it does not cover solar panels or batteries.
The scheme was not open when we checked. Its page invites people to sign up to be told when it opens, and our guide to grants and solar covers the earlier schemes it replaces.
From Net Zero Isle of Man’s update on the Heat Wise Home scheme (published 14 August 2026), read on 16 October 2026. Check the scheme’s own page for the full eligibility rules before you apply.
Do you need planning permission?
Usually not, if the pump meets the conditions in the island’s Permitted Development Order 2025. An air source heat pump is covered by Class 23A. Within the grounds of a house, it is permitted development if:
- no part of it is within 1 metre of a boundary shared with a neighbouring building;
- it is no nearer a road that borders the property than the house itself is, or 20 metres, whichever is nearer;
- it is not on a wall that faces a road;
- there are no more than two pumps;
- each outdoor unit, with its housing, is no bigger than 1 cubic metre;
- the pumps together make no more than 42 decibels, measured in a set way outside a neighbour’s door or window;
- its specification is displayed on the outdoor unit, and its lowest part is no more than 1 metre above the ground;
- it is used only for heating, installed to the maker’s specification, and removed once it is no longer needed.
Ground and water source heat pumps, including boreholes, are covered by Class 23, with a limit of two pumps. Both classes also carry the order’s general conditions, such as distances from high-voltage overhead lines and watercourses, and a minimum distance from trees. Both stay permitted in a conservation area, but nothing is permitted development within the grounds of a registered building.
From the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development) Order 2025, SD No. 2025/0027, Classes 23 and 23A, Schedule 2 and article 5, downloaded from Planning and Building Control and read in full on 28 September 2026. A plain-English summary, not legal advice. If in doubt, ask Planning and Building Control.
The electrical side
Planning and Building Control lists “power or control wiring for a new central heating system” and new heating circuits as notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations. That means a business registered with NICEIC Domestic Installer or NAPIT Part P CPS, or approval from Building Control before the work starts. Manx Utilities says its Test Certificate and Connection Form, signed by a Part P registered electrician, is needed before additional loads or circuits are connected. Our guide to choosing an installer explains how to check a registration.
From Planning and Building Control’s page on electrical installations in homes and Manx Utilities’ test certificate and connection form page, both read on 16 October 2026.
The tariff for electric heating
Manx Utilities’ Comfy Heat tariff is a two-rate tariff for homes that use electric heating and electric water heating, with 8 hours of cheaper electricity every day. It is only for homes whose sole source of heating and hot water is electricity, and Manx Utilities lists gas heating, oil heating and a hybrid heat pump system as making a home ineligible. There is a minimum charge to switch tariff. Ask Manx Utilities whether your own set-up qualifies.
From Manx Utilities’ domestic tariffs page, read on 16 October 2026.
Heat pumps and solar
A heat pump runs on electricity, so solar panels can supply some of it while the sun is up. Island sunshine is weakest in winter, when a heat pump works hardest, so most of a heat pump’s winter electricity will still come from the grid. Our solar panels guide shows how output changes through the year. A plug-in kit is limited to 800W, so it can only ever cover a small part of a heat pump’s demand.
Common questions
How much is the heat pump grant on the Isle of Man?
Under Heat Wise Home, up to £16,000 for households that qualify for full support, or an £8,000 grant plus up to £8,000 of interest-free credit through Manx Utilities for partial support. The scheme was approved on 23 July 2026 and was not yet open when we checked.
Do I need planning permission for an air source heat pump?
Not usually. Class 23A of the Permitted Development Order 2025 allows up to two pumps if they meet its conditions on distance from boundaries and roads, size, noise and height. A registered building needs an application.
Does Heat Wise Home cover hybrid heat pumps or solar?
Its published list of supported works names air source heat pumps, not hybrid systems, and the scheme says it does not cover any solar technologies. Check the scheme’s page for any update.
Is there a cheaper electricity tariff for heat pumps?
Manx Utilities’ Comfy Heat tariff gives 8 hours of cheaper electricity a day to homes heated only by electricity. Gas, oil and hybrid heat pump systems make a home ineligible. Ask Manx Utilities whether your home qualifies.