Heat Pump FAQs
Straightforward answers to common questions about installing and living with an air source heat pump.
Quick estimate?
See what heat pump could work for your home in just a couple of minutes
Most asked
Yes. We install right across England, Wales and Scotland. Use our estimate tool to see how a heat pump could work for your home. It takes a couple of minutes and you'll see your personalised estimate on screen. Our friendly team are then always on hand to help answer your questions.
Yes they are.
When using our heat pump estimate tool, we'll get you a pretty good view of the system you'll need to keep your home cosy. All homes are different though and that's why we offer a free home assessment during which we'll learn more about your home. We then complete a heat loss survey of your home and then design your system.
All of our installations are designed by our in-house specialists plus we also include new heating controls and any upgrades needed to your radiators and pipework.
We are on a mission to make home upgrades, simple. Our team have decades of experience in the UK home energy market.
Our installers are trained heat pump engineers and your installation will be installed to MCS standards by a local engineer. So you'll be supporting local people who take real pride in their work.
After your free home assessment, we will organise a home survey for £199. If you go ahead with a heat pump installation this comes off your fixed price quote. If we find that your home is not suitable for a heat pump, we'll refund the survey cost.
One of our professional assessors will visit your home and measure up. This means going to each of your rooms and measuring its size as well as the size of windows, radiators and doors. We'll also check existing insulation levels and look for good locations to install the outside unit, the hot water cylinder, and other fittings. Surveys typically take about two hours to complete.
Once the survey is complete, we'll make some calculations, including a heat loss and then talk you through our findings and provide a final fixed quote.
Once your home survey is complete, we'll aim to install your heat pump within 30 days.
The time we'll be in your home varies, but normally we can install your new heat pump within three to four days. During that time, we'll aim to keep disruption to a minimum.
We combine your answers to a handful of simple questions with publicly available data about your home and our own calculations. We estimate your home's heat loss and any radiator upgrades we think might be needed to ensure your heat pump runs efficiently. It's important to remember these are just estimates. After your home survey, we'll be able to give you a more accurate view of your future energy costs based on MCS standards.
Not sure yet?
If you’d like a second opinion or a bit more clarity, we’re here to help.
What to expect with a heat pump
Yes, if you have a heat pump, your radiators might be cooler because heat pumps typically run at a lower temperature. However, they still effectively heat your home by running for longer periods ('lower for longer') and we may recommend some radiator upgrades to help make sure enough heat is transferred into your rooms.
You might need to change some of your radiators if you're switching to a heat pump. Larger radiators can transfer more heat into your room. As part of our Home Survey, we will assess your current setup and recommend any necessary upgrades.
Heat pumps are usually installed outside your home, next to an external wall. They can, however, be installed away from your home, but there is normally an extra cost involved as we'll need to dig a trench and install specialist piping.
The heat pump needs good airflow around it, so we'll choose a spot where nothing gets in the way. Heat pumps can be installed on a concrete base (which we will install) or attached to a wall. Heat pumps come in various sizes but are typically 1-1.5m tall by 1m wide.
No. Normally, near an external wall is a good spot, but we know that doesn't work for everyone. If you'd like the heat pump to be further away from your home we will discuss options that could work for you. Normally, this comes at an extra cost as we'll need to dig a trench and install specialist pipes.
We install heat pumps from top manufacturers like Vaillant and Ideal Heating. This means you'll benefit from warranties of up to 7 years as well as our 24-month workmanship warranty. Both of these manufacturers, as established heating brands in the UK, also have extensive networks of engineers to help fix issues if they crop up in the future.
Yes they can, but the type that is typically installed in the UK, called air-to-water, requires quite a specialist installation to support this. The key is ensuring if cold water is circulated through your home, you'll want to avoid condensation forming on pipes.
Another option is installing an air-to-air heat pump - which most British people would recognise as air conditioning. Warm or cold air is blown into the house through units mounted on your wall or ceiling. These are efficient systems, but if you are switching from radiators, the change is quite disruptive.
Yes. We find a heat pump is quite a popular choice for homeowners who currently heat their homes with oil. Because you'll have an oil tank outside you'll normally have enough space for a heat pump to be installed. It's also a great way of removing the hassle of remembering to top your oil up and insulating yourself from fluctuating oil prices.
We've written a more in depth guide to switching to a heat pump from an oil boiler here.
As part of your home assessment, we'll check your eligibility for a government grant. In England, Wales and Scotland most households are eligible for a £7,500 grant when installing an air-to-water heat pump. You can find out more about the Boiler Upgrade Scheme on the government website.
We then have flexible finance options available, or you can pay the balance by debit or credit card.
Yes, modern heat pumps are designed to work efficiently even in very cold temperatures.
They can still provide reliable heating by extracting warmth from the air, even when it's freezing outside. Did you know that 4 in 10 homes in Scandinavia are heated by a heat pump? In these countries, a winter's day is often, on average, -8 degrees Celsius.
Potentially. As part of your home survey, we'll measure your pipework and then make some calculations to check what is feasible and your options. Sometimes, it's a trade-off between changing your pipework and getting good efficiency from your system.
Yes, heat pumps work very well with underfloor heating. Both systems operate efficiently at lower temperatures, providing consistent and comfortable warmth throughout your home.
No, heat pumps are designed to operate quietly. Most modern models produce minimal noise, similar to a fridge freezer. Remember a heat pump will be working its hardest during the winter months when you'll probably not be using your garden much.
Yes, your hot water will still be hot enough for a bath with a heat pump. Normally, hot water will be heated to a lower temperature with a heat pump (it's more efficient), but you'll find you still need to mix the hot water from your tap with cold water to have a bath!
Heat pumps typically have a sterilisation cycle that periodically raises the water temperature to eliminate any bacteria, ensuring your hot water is safe and comfortable.
Home survey
Technically, no, but to be eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England & Wales you need an in-date Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). To be in date it needs to be less than 10 years old. If you don't have one or it is older than 10-years we will arrange for a new EPC as part of our home survey. It's on us.
Take a quick look at our grant eligibility checker - it only takes 30 seconds.
After your home survey we aim to have your design with you in a few days.
Heat loss is the escape of warmth from your home through walls, windows, roofs, and floors. Reducing heat loss improves energy efficiency and keeps your home warmer.
Yes. As part of your free home assessment call, you can tell us about your plans. We can then factor those into our calculations at the design stage.
Possibly. If you live in a flat with access to a garden with enough space for a heat pump, we can normally make it work. Let's have a chat during a free home assessment call.
Not sure yet?
If you’d like a second opinion or a bit more clarity, we’re here to help.
Grants and cashback
You'll need an in date EPC to be eligible for a government grant. If you don't have an EPC or your one is older than 10 years as part of your home survey, we will provide you with a new certificate. In addition, you need to own the property you’re applying for and be replacing fossil fuel heating systems - such as oil, gas, electric or LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). You can find out more about it on the government website.
We've also put together a smart eligibility checker tool which will help you figure it all out in under 30 seconds.
No. The eligibility criteria for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme changed in early 2024, meaning you no longer have to make sure certain insulation recommendations are completed first. Our free eligibility checker tool has been updated to reflect this change.
That said, if you can add insulation like loft and cavity wall relatively easily, it's often worth the investment. Improving the insulation of your home will help lower heating bills, however you heat your home. With a heat pump, a well-insulated home will help the system run more efficiently.
Yes. Whilst these change fairly frequently if you have a mortgage a number of lenders are offering cashback to help you offset the cost of upgrading to a heat pump. During your home assessment call, we'll check that and help you look for current offers.
Installation
Topping up your loft insulation or insulating a cavity wall is normally a pretty straightforward job, so if you can, improving your home insulation will help lower your heating bills - regardless of whether you heat your home with a boiler or a heat pump.
Suppose you are planning a more extensive refurbishment of your home and you don't have cavity walls. In that case, you may want to consider internal or external wall insulation as well as floor insulation.
That said it's often a balancing act. Heat pumps have been shown to work in pretty leaky homes, but normally with a bit of an efficiency trade-off. We can discuss options with you after your home survey.
Yes, we will inform your local District Network Operator that we have installed a heat pump at your home. We need to do that because it helps your DNO understand where heat pumps are being installed so they can maintain a safe and efficient electricity network.
Yes, heat pumps can be mounted on a wall. However, we normally don't recommend installing them above 1 m as this makes servicing them trickier in the future.
Most heat pump installations don't need planning permission as they fall within Permitted Development Rights. However, other factors need to be considered, like distance from your neighbour's property, noise levels, and whether you live in a conservation area or your home is listed. As part of our home survey and design process we'll look at all of this and help you come up with a plan.
We can't help you directly, but if your landlord wants to upgrade your home heating, please ask them to contact us.
Yes. Our heat pumps can all be controlled and monitored remotely. This helps you control temperatures, and we can check on your heat pump to make sure it's running as we expect. Your installer will complete the setup as part of the installation. If you prefer the heat pump not to be connected that's fine, but we won't be able to remotely monitor its performance.
On the first day your installer will arrive between 8am and 10am. They will check all the equipment they need is on site and walk you through the installation process. We'll need an adult to be there to welcome our installer and on the final day so we can show off your new system.
We'll normally aim to have equipment delivered to your home on the first day of your installation. Sometimes we need to have some equipment delivered ahead of that, but we'll agree that with you before anything turns up on your doorstep!
Your installer will talk you through the heat pump installation plan, however you should expect some disruption. We'll do our best to keep that to a minimum but there will be times when heating and / or hot water is not available. If you have anyone with a health condition or other vulnerability in your household please do let us know.
No, not for the full installation, unless you want to be! We ask that an adult be there to welcome our installers on the first, and then again on the final day so we can walk you through your new heat pump system.
Not sure yet?
If you’d like a second opinion or a bit more clarity, we’re here to help.
Electric tariffs
Yes. Many energy companies are now offering heat pump tariffs where you have a smart meter installed. These tariffs typically offer lower unit prices at certain times of the day / night to encourage you to use electricity at off-peak times. We can help set up your heat pump to take advantage of these rates.
After care
Yes. We install heat pumps from top manufacturers like Vaillant and Ideal, meaning you'll benefit from manufacturer warranties of up to 7-years. Our work also comes with a 24-month workmanship warranty. We'll register your heat pump warranty for you.
Yes. Our heat pump installations all come with a 24-month workmanship warranty alongside your manufacturer's warranty.
Yes. We recommend an annual service and its normally a requirement to maintain the manufacturer's parts and labour warranty.
Give us a call on 0330 822 2795 and we'll get you back on track.
Give us a call on 0330 822 2795 and we'll get you back on track.
Yes. The heat pumps we install can be connected to the internet allowing you to control your heat pump from a dedicated app on your mobile phone.
