Heat pump installers in the UK

A heat pump takes low-grade heat from the outside air and delivers it into your radiators and hot water cylinder. It runs at around 45°C rather than the 70–80°C a gas boiler uses, which is why radiators and pipework get as much attention in the survey as the pump itself.

That lower flow temperature is also the biggest factor in your running cost. A correctly sized system with generous radiators runs more efficiently than a larger pump attached to undersized emitters, so ask for the design flow temperature in writing.

Homeowners in England and Wales can claim a £7,500 grant towards an air source heat pump through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The money comes off the install cost, and the MCS certified installer applies for the voucher on your behalf rather than you claiming it afterwards.

Eligibility depends on the property: a valid EPC with no outstanding loft or cavity wall insulation recommendations is normally required. Scotland runs its own Home Energy Scotland grants and loans instead, and grant levels are set by government, so confirm the current amount and rules on GOV.UK before you sign.

Residential heat pump installations are also zero rated for VAT, so a quoted price should not have VAT added on top of the pump and its installation.

Most of the work is not the outdoor unit. Expect a hot water cylinder where a combi boiler left you without one, larger radiators in the rooms with the highest heat loss, and new controls and pipework. Insulation recommended on the EPC usually goes first, because it reduces the size of pump the house needs.

A typical conversion takes two to four days on site, after a survey that measures heat loss room by room. An installer who prices from photographs instead of a survey is guessing at the two numbers that decide whether the system works.

A heat pump is more efficient than a boiler, but electricity costs more per unit than gas, so the honest comparison is cost per unit of heat delivered rather than the headline fuel price. On a specialist heat pump tariff a well installed system generally runs at or below gas for the same heat, and comfortably below it once solar or a cheap overnight rate is added.

Ask for a modelled annual running cost at your own tariff, alongside the efficiency figure the installer is assuming. If the numbers only work at a tariff you cannot actually switch to, better to know that now.

In England an air source heat pump is usually permitted development when it meets the MCS noise standard and the rules on siting and size, but conservation areas, listed buildings and flats are different. Check with your council's planning team early if the property is not a standard house.

Siting matters for comfort as well as compliance: away from bedroom windows and the boundary, on a base or wall that will not transmit vibration into the building.