The table
| Council | Heat pumps paid | Households | Per 1,000 households | No gas meter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribble Valley | 161 | 26,747 | 6.0 | 15.38% |
| Chorley | 217 | 50,128 | 4.3 | 5.82% |
| West Lancashire | 180 | 48,533 | 3.7 | 10.83% |
| Lancaster | 220 | 59,976 | 3.7 | 14.37% |
| South Ribble | 175 | 48,586 | 3.6 | 3.14% |
| Preston | 177 | 59,609 | 3.0 | 10.61% |
| Wyre | 146 | 50,767 | 2.9 | 9.08% |
| Rossendale | 84 | 30,562 | 2.7 | 4.57% |
| Fylde | 103 | 37,607 | 2.7 | 11.16% |
| Blackpool | 176 | 64,794 | 2.7 | 10.81% |
| Pendle | 75 | 38,067 | 2.0 | 4.25% |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 97 | 58,766 | 1.7 | 3.31% |
| Hyndburn | 44 | 34,792 | 1.3 | 2.65% |
| Burnley | 37 | 39,872 | 0.9 | 3.06% |
Number and rate
Lancaster (220), Chorley and West Lancashire have had the most heat pumps paid for. Dividing by households gives a fairer comparison, and it changes the order: Ribble Valley, the smallest council by households, moves to the top with about 6.0 per 1,000, while Blackpool, the largest, falls to the lower half.
At the bottom, Burnley has had 37, about one for every 1,078 households, and Hyndburn 44. The highest rate is more than six times the lowest.
Off-gas homes and the pattern
The statistics give no reasons, but the pattern lines up with gas. The 6 councils where at least one property in ten has no gas meter averaged about 3.4 grant-funded heat pumps per 1,000 households; the other 8 averaged about 2.5. A home heated by oil, LPG or old electric heaters has more to gain from a heat pump than one on gas, and until 31 March 2027 oil and LPG homes can get the higher £9,000 band.
Housing plays a part too. The four councils with the lowest rates, Burnley, Hyndburn, Blackburn with Darwen and Pendle, are those with the largest shares of terraced houses, where finding room for a cylinder and passing the sound calculation take more thought. Renting may matter as well: a tenant cannot apply, and a landlord may have less reason to change a working gas boiler.
What the figures count
The figures are vouchers paid under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England, by the local authority of the property, from the scheme's start in May 2022 to September 2026. They count vouchers paid, not applications or quotes. They do not include heat pumps paid for privately, through Cosy Homes in Lancashire or through earlier schemes, so the number of heat pumps actually running in each council is higher.
What the grant is
- Standard band: £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump.
- Higher band: £9,000 for homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas, for applications properly made by 31 March 2027.
- Who applies: the installer, who must be MCS certified, claims it and takes it off the price.
- Who cannot: social housing, most new builds, and homes that have already had government funding for a heat pump.
Using the figures
A low figure in your council does not mean the grant is harder to get there. The scheme is national and the amount is the same in Burnley as in the Ribble Valley. What the figures can tell you is how familiar heat pumps are locally. In a council where few have been fitted, it is worth asking an installer how many they have done in similar houses, and checking their MCS certification and consumer code before you commit.
The statistics are published monthly. This page uses the release covering the period to September 2026; the sources page links to it so you can check for a newer one.
Two unitary councils
Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen run their own services and are counted separately from the 12 districts of Lancashire County Council. Together they have had 273 grant-funded heat pumps. Both are in Cosy Homes in Lancashire, and Blackpool Council leads that scheme for all 13 of its councils.