Think you need a new boiler? You don’t with an air source heat pump.

Air source heat pumps work in a similar way to a fridge only in reverse, so they produce heat rather than cooling. They use electricity to extract naturally occurring heat from the air outside, convert it to a higher temperature, and then use it to provide warmth to a home’s radiators, underfloor heating and/or hot water. Find out more here.

According to the Energy Savings Trust, all property types are suitable for an air source heat pump install.

It’s always worth checking in advance with your local planning office, however generally across England, Wales and Scotland heat pump installs are classed as ‘permitted developments’, which means you’re allowed to add them to your home without planning permission. However, there are some building regulation considerations to be aware of, including rules for installation within conservation areas, and compliance with Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) or equivalent planning standards. We’ll ensure that all of these requirements are included in your proposal.

Other factors that impact whether an air source heat pump may be suitable include:

A fully installed heat pump typically costs between £10,500 to £16,500 with 0% VAT. However, this can vary based on the size and complexity of the install and if any other energy efficiency measures, such as insulation, are required.

The good news is that financial support is available in Scotland through Home Energy Scotland, which offers a grant of £7,500 (with an additional £1,500 for households in rural Scotland). In England and Wales, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is available, which provides a £7,500 grant towards your system. Both schemes have their own eligibility criteria and conditions apply, which our team can discuss with you.

If your home has a poor EPC energy efficiency rating (of D, E, F, G), and you receive certain benefits, you may be eligible for a free ASHP as part of the government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, find out more here.

Our free, no obligation home survey will provide you with a personalised price and installation solution. Call us on 0800 559 3313 today to get your survey booked.

An EPC (or Energy Performance Certificate) contains:

An EPC gives a property an energy efficiency rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and is valid for 10 years. If you’ve recently purchased your home or moved into rented accommodation you should have been provided with a copy of the EPC for your property.

It’s useful to have your EPC to hand when you’re completing your ECO application. If you don’t have a copy of your EPC you can search for it online. There are separate online search tools for properties in England and Wales and for those in Scotland.

The level of potential saving varies based on what kind of system you’re upgrading from. According to the Energy Saving Trust, upgrading from an old and inefficient G-rated boiler could lead to savings of around £900 per year. If you have a modern A-rated condensing boiler then a heat pump may cost slightly more per year to run by around £115, however boiler efficiency can diminish if it hasn’t been maintained. Read more about  boiler efficiency  and how to find what rating yours is.

No matter the efficiency rating of your current gas boiler, upgrading to an air source heat pump means you won’t be generating carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels. The Energy Savings Trust state that switching from a G-rated boiler could reduce your carbon emissions by 6,000 kg/year, and even changing from an A-rated boiler could reduce your emissions by 2,900 kg/year.

Air source heat pumps also run at around 300% efficiency. This means that less energy is required to create the same heat output as gas boilers, which operate at less than 70% efficiency for a G-rated boiler and 90% and above for an A-rated boiler.

Financial and environmental benefits can vary according to the age, efficiency, and fuel type of your existing heating system. Some of the biggest benefits can be realised by switching from oil and LPG systems according to the Energy Savings Trust. Plus, to power your air source heat pump, you could sign-up to an electricity provider whose tariffs are 100% green or you can use solar power to generate your own zero carbon electricity.

Air source heat pumps don’t use mains gas, but you can still choose to keep your gas supply for cooking purposes. However, to benefit from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, one of the conditions is that the ASHP installation must fully replace a fossil fuel heating system. If you don’t have any other appliances which use gas, you won’t need a gas supply tariff.

You don’t need to have a smart meter installed to get an air source heat pump, but we would recommend it. Smart meters help keep track of when and how much gas and electricity you’re using.

The noise level is low at only around 42 decibels when measured at one metre away (as listed in the MCS Installation Standard (MCS 020)), so the external unit won’t disturb your neighbours - even in densely populated areas. To give you an idea, 40dB is equivalent to the noise emitted by a refrigerator and 55dB is equivalent to typical household background noise. We’ll help to advise you on the best location, taking all factors into account.

In many cases, we will need to install larger radiators due to the lower water temperature and constant flow around the heating system.

Air source heat pumps do require a hot water cylinder, as they heat the hot water at a set temperature for you to use throughout the day. You could also schedule your hot water to benefit from off-peak energy costs through time of use rates. If the pipework going into your radiators is less than a centimetre in diameter, professional installers will recommend for it to be replaced to ensure the most efficient operation of your heating system.

Our free, no obligation survey will determine what is required for your home, and the costs for all works will be included in your install proposal.

The typical lifespan for an air source heat pump is between 15 to 20 years. As part of our standard installation package, you’ll get a 2-year installer warranty, an extended 7-year manufacturer warranty and we also include your first two annual services. We’ll also install filters to remove any system debris to ensure there are no issues building up and help prolong the life of the unit. T&C’s apply to all the warranties, and we’ll provide details of them in full.

In terms on ongoing maintenance, your air source heat pump should be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidance in order to maintain the warranty. This will most likely be required annually. There are also some actions you can take to help keep it running as efficiently as possible, like making sure the area that it’s situated in is kept free of leaves and other debris to make sure there’s a continual supply of air.

You’ll have an in-home display installed which will allow you to view and change all the temperatures and schedules for your system. Our installer will describe what each element of the control does and how it works. Depending on the ASHP manufacturer you choose, you’ll also get access to their app, which allows you to control your heating system anywhere from a mobile device.