A heat pump for your home, planned properly
Check whether your home is ready, what a heat pump costs, which grant you can get and what it will use to run, before you ask MCS installers to quote.
A heat pump for your home
A heat pump takes heat from the outside air, the ground or water and uses electricity to raise it to the temperature your radiators and hot water need. How well it does that depends mostly on the flow temperature your home needs on cold days.
- Find your gas or oil use for the last three years on your bills or annual statements.
- On a cold day, see whether your rooms stay warm with the boiler’s flow temperature turned down.
- Ask for quotes that include a room-by-room heat loss calculation, the radiator work and every extra.
From first check to a working heat pump
Five steps to plan a heat pump that suits your home and to compare quotes on the same basis.
Check your home
Your gas use per square metre, the flow temperature and your radiators room by room show whether your home is ready or what to change first.
Is my home suitable?Estimate the size
The heat loss in kilowatts sets the size of the heat pump. An oversized unit cycles on and off more and costs more without keeping you any warmer.
Heat pump sizingWork out cost and grant
Put the installed price, the grant and the order of steps side by side. In England and Wales the installer applies for the grant; in Scotland you apply before any work starts.
Heat pump grantsCompare quotes
Compare the heat loss survey, the unit, the cylinder, electrical work, radiator changes and removal of the old boiler. Anything left out of the quote is extra.
Choosing an installerInstall and fine-tune
After commissioning, lowering the flow temperature in small steps and watching the electricity and heat meters through the first winter pays off.
Heat pumps and radiators
What does a heat pump cost to run?
The electricity it uses is your home’s heat demand divided by the seasonal performance factor. The lower the flow temperature, the more heat each kilowatt-hour of electricity gives.
What you pay each year also depends on your tariff: a heat pump or time-of-use tariff can lower the price per unit. Compare the running costs with your current heating, including the gas standing charge if you keep a gas supply.
Heat pump running costs →Which heat pump suits your home?
Most homes get an air source heat pump: it needs no borehole or trench and fits well into an existing heating system. A ground source heat pump is more efficient but costs more and needs space or a borehole.
If you are replacing a gas, oil or LPG boiler, the right system depends on your radiators, your hot water and the space you have. Our guides set the systems side by side against the same criteria.
Read before you decide
Air source heat pumps
How the most common heat pump in UK homes works, what it costs and where it goes.
Air source heat pumps →What does a heat pump cost, and what does the grant cover?
The installed price covers the unit, the cylinder, fitting, electrical work, the base and any radiator or pipework changes. In England and Wales a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant comes off the installer’s invoice; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own support.
Whether a heat pump pays for itself shows over 15 to 20 years against a new gas boiler, with your own gas and electricity prices.
Read before you decide
Heat pump cost
Installed prices, the items in a quote and the cost after the grant.
Heat pump cost →How do you plan a heat pump properly?
Good planning starts with the heat loss and the radiators. Often a few larger radiators and a balanced system are enough for the heat pump to run at a low flow temperature.
Where the outdoor unit goes decides the noise at your neighbour’s window, the pipe runs and the cost of the base.
Read before you decide
Heat pumps and radiators
Which radiators can stay, which to replace and what that costs.
Heat pumps and radiators →How much electricity does a heat pump use?
The seasonal performance factor shows how much heat the heat pump gives for each kilowatt-hour of electricity over a year. Electricity and heat meters show after the first winter how well your system really runs.
A heat pump tariff, solar panels and regular servicing bring the running costs down further.
Read before you decide
Heat pump running costs
Typical use for UK homes, real-world efficiency and the changes that save electricity.
Heat pump running costs →Which brand should you choose?
The big manufacturers sell air source heat pumps in several ranges. What matters is the efficiency at 35 and 55 °C flow, the sound power, the refrigerant and the warranty terms of the range in your quote.
Our brand pages bring these figures together from the manufacturers’ datasheets.
Heat pump brand ranking
Sorted by overall score, highest first.
Scores out of 5 for quality, warranty and price; the total weighs them (quality 50%, warranty 25%, price 25%) and sets the order. Price is our editorial estimate (5 = most affordable), not a quoted price. The full method is on our editorial method page.
Read before you decide
See heat pump brands
Ranges, efficiency, noise and warranties of the main manufacturers in the UK.
See heat pump brands →Frequently asked questions
Will a heat pump work in an older house?
In many older homes, yes. What matters is the flow temperature the house needs on cold days. Often a few larger radiators and a balanced system are enough; sometimes insulating the loft or walls first makes sense.
What does an installed heat pump cost?
The price depends on the type of heat pump, your home’s heat loss, the radiators and the extra work. Ask for itemised quotes so you compare like with like and can see where the grant is taken off.
How do I get the grant?
In England and Wales your MCS installer applies for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and takes the grant off your invoice. In Scotland you apply to Home Energy Scotland before any work starts. Our grant guide explains who qualifies and the order of steps.
How loud is a heat pump?
It depends on the unit, where it stands and how far it is from your neighbour. What counts is the level at the neighbour’s window, not only the sound power on the datasheet.
Choose an installer and compare quotes
The design and installation matter as much as the unit. A thorough home survey and an itemised quote let you check the design before you sign.
Heat loss calculation
Ask to see how the size of the heat pump was worked out, room by room.
Full scope
Unit, cylinder, electrical work, base, radiator changes and removal of the old boiler.
MCS and the grant
Check the installer is MCS certified and who applies for the grant and notifies the network operator.
Warranty and service
Ask about servicing, winter call-outs and the terms of the manufacturer’s warranty.