Heat pump installation: is your home suitable?
Which homes suit an air source heat pump, what the survey decides, and who is allowed to fit one.
Is an air source heat pump right for your home?
An air source heat pump pulls heat from the outside air, even in winter, and moves it into your radiators and hot water cylinder. It runs on electricity instead of gas or oil. For typical prices before and after grants, see our guide to heat pump installation cost.
It suits some houses well and others badly, and we will tell you which group yours is in. If your home is very draughty and you cannot improve it soon, a new boiler may be the better call for now: see boiler replacement.
Who it suits
| Usually a good fit | Think harder first |
|---|---|
| Loft and cavity walls insulated, or easy to insulate | Solid walls with no plan to insulate |
| Room outside for the unit, with a few metres of clearance | No outdoor space, or a flat with no balcony or yard |
| Space for a hot water cylinder | Small home already using every cupboard |
| Planning to stay several years | Moving within a year or two |
| Off the gas grid, on oil or LPG | Need heat back this week after a breakdown |
A heat pump works best running warm water all day, not hot water in bursts. That is why radiator size and insulation matter more than the unit itself. Our guide to running costs explains the numbers.
What the grants cover
In England and Wales the Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off the price, claimed by your installer. In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland offers a grant and an optional interest-free loan, but you must apply before work starts. Check the current rules before you commit, because schemes change.
The survey decides the design
No installer should quote a fixed heat pump price without visiting. The survey measures each room, notes wall and window types and works out how much heat the house loses on a cold day. That figure sets the size of the heat pump and shows which radiators need upgrading. Read how a heat pump survey works to know what to expect and what to ask.
MCS installers only
Every heat pump installer we connect you with is MCS certified, which the Boiler Upgrade Scheme requires. You can check any installer on the MCS register.
Typical prices
| Job | Typical price | Fitting time |
|---|---|---|
| Air source heat pump, before any grant | £11,000 to £14,500 | 2 to 5 days |
| After the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant | £3,500 to £7,000 | grant applied by installer |
| Radiator upgrades, if needed | £300 to £600 each | same visit |
| Hot water cylinder | usually included | same visit |
Including VAT, checked October 2026. England prices shown; grants differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Heat pump installation services
Guides
- Heat pump installation cost UK
- Heat pump running costs vs a gas boiler
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant explained
- Home Energy Scotland heat pump grants
- Heat pump grants in Wales
- Heating grants in Northern Ireland
- ECO4 and insulation grants
- Are heat pumps right for older houses?
- Heat pumps in terraced houses and flats
- What size heat pump do I need?
- Radiators for heat pumps
- Heat pump noise and planning rules
- How a heat pump survey works
- Heat pump myths, checked
Heat pump installation by city
England
- Birmingham
- Bolton
- Bournemouth
- Bradford
- Brighton
- Bristol
- Cambridge
- Chelmsford
- Coventry
- Derby
- Doncaster
- Exeter
- Gloucester
- Huddersfield
- Hull
- Ipswich
- Leeds
- Leicester
- Liverpool
- London
- Luton
- Manchester
- Middlesbrough
- Milton Keynes
- Newcastle
- Northampton
- Norwich
- Nottingham
- Oxford
- Peterborough
- Plymouth
- Portsmouth
- Preston
- Reading
- Sheffield
- Southampton
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Sunderland
- Swindon
- Wakefield
- Warrington
- Wolverhampton
- York
Northern Ireland
Common questions
Will a heat pump work in my house?
Most UK houses can run a heat pump, but not all of them run one well. The home needs to hold its heat reasonably and have radiators big enough to work at lower water temperatures. A proper survey with a room by room heat loss calculation answers the question for your house.
Who fits the heat pump?
An independent MCS-certified installer. City Boiler is not an installer. We connect you with local installers who hold MCS certification, which is required for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.
How long does installation take?
Usually 2 to 5 days. A swap with suitable radiators sits at the short end. New radiators, pipe changes or a cylinder in a new spot push it longer.
How do I check an installer is MCS certified?
Search the installer's name or postcode on the MCS register at mcscertified.com. The certification has to cover heat pumps, and the installer should give you an MCS certificate when the job is commissioned.