Boiler Upgrade Scheme Cash-Flow Timeline Planner (2026)
BUS vouchers have injected serious money into the market, but many installers still wait months for grant payouts. This playbook plus a Toolfy cash-flow board shows exactly how deposits, grants, and supplier spend hit your working capital.
BUS vouchers issued
~90k
DESNZ, late 2025
Typical payout delay
10–14 weeks
Installer surveys
Typical install cost
£13–14k
Heat pump market benchmarks
⚠️ Important Disclaimer
This guide is for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute professional advice of any kind (legal, financial, tax, insurance, or otherwise).
Before making business decisions: Consult with qualified professionals (solicitors, accountants, insurance brokers, etc.) who can assess your specific circumstances. Laws, regulations, and industry standards change frequently and vary by location and situation.
Toolfy and the article authors accept no liability for decisions made or actions taken based on information provided in this guide. You are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Why BUS cash flow strains installers
Suppliers expect 50–70 % of kit value upfront, scaffolding firms want payment once erected, and grant remittances can land 3 months after commissioning. That mismatch forces installers to run a mini finance desk for every job.
- 35 % average customer deposit leaves £5–6k unfunded until BUS clears.
- DESNZ data shows 41 % of BUS jobs miss the “grant paid” SLA because evidence arrives incomplete.
- Finance teams rarely see a consolidated timeline, so they freeze sales when liquidity dips.
Three timelines you must sync
Customer
- Quote → deposit collected
- Install milestone photos
- Balance request once BUS filed
Supplier
- Heat pump order
- Cylinders/rads shipping
- Labour invoices
Grant
- Voucher issued
- Evidence validated
- Payment to installer
Toolfy ties these streams together with a single job timeline so ops, finance, and the homeowner see the same truth.
Interactive BUS cash-flow model
Adjust your install economics and see how grants and deposits cover—or expose—your capital.
Model cash gaps
Boiler Upgrade Scheme Cash-Flow Calculator
Estimate how deposits, BUS drawdowns, and customer payment delays affect your working capital.
Peak capital tied up
£16,200
BUS grant
£7,500
per install
Cash gap per job
£2,700
Materials - deposit
Working capital buffer
£9,450
14 week payback
Cash events
Day 0
Customer approves quote & pays deposit
+£4,725
Day 7
Order heat pump + materials
-£7,425
Week 12
BUS grant payment lands
+£7,500
Week 14
Customer settles balance
+£1,275
Your implementation checklist
Toolfy automations that protect cash
Milestone invoices
Automatically issue deposit, BUS evidence, and completion invoices using job events and Idempotency-Key protected API calls.
Supplier ledger
Log PO value, due date, and supplier payment status so ops sees capital gaps weeks ahead.
Resident briefing
Send branded SMS/email nudges for survey prep, install dates, and grant updates with zero copy/paste.
Next step
Bring heat pump finance, ops, and grants into the same board.
Book a 30-minute session. We will import your BUS pipeline, wire up the calculator defaults, and ship grant-ready templates.
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