Air source heat pumps, designed and installed properly

A full air source heat pump system typically costs £9,500–£12,500 for a one- or two-bedroom flat or small terrace, £12,000–£15,500 for a three-bedroom semi and £16,500–£22,500 for a larger or older home with five or more bedrooms. These are guide prices, installed and including VAT. Grants can reduce the cost, depending on which UK nation you live in. Your final price is fixed in a written quote after the free home survey. See all guide prices.

Our full-system guide price covers the outdoor heat pump unit, a hot water cylinder, controls, commissioning and typical minor pipework. Extras are priced separately only when your home needs them: a replacement radiator sized for a heat pump is a guide price of £250–£450 each, and a pipework upgrade is typically £1,500–£3,500. All are guide prices, installed and including VAT. Your written quote lists exactly what is included before you decide.

Most UK homes can use an air source heat pump, as long as there is space outside for the unit, room inside for a hot water cylinder and heating that can work at lower temperatures. Houses, bungalows, cottages and many flats are all possible. What decides the design is your home's heat loss, which we measure room by room at the free home survey. If a heat pump is not a good fit, we tell you and explain why.

Your home does not need to be perfectly insulated, but insulation affects the size of heat pump you need and how much it costs to run. A room-by-room heat loss calculation shows where heat escapes, and the system is sized to match. Simple measures such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and draught-proofing can lower heat loss. We point out worthwhile improvements at survey, so you can decide whether to do them first.

The home survey is a visit to measure your home room by room and calculate its heat loss, which sets the size of heat pump and radiators you need. We also look at your existing radiators and pipework, where the cylinder and outdoor unit can go, your electricity supply and the position of neighbouring homes for the noise check. Afterwards you receive a written quote with the system design and price. See heat loss surveys.

Yes, the home survey and heat loss calculation are free when you are enquiring about an installation. If you only want a heat loss survey and report, for example to plan a renovation, a stand-alone survey is a guide price of £150–£400, including VAT. Repairs work differently: a fault-finding visit is charged at a rate agreed before we attend, and servicing is a paid visit.

Air source heat pumps make some noise, mainly a low hum from the fan and compressor, but they are designed to run quietly. How noticeable it is depends on the model, how hard the unit is working and where it is sited. That is why siting matters and why the installation is checked with the MCS noise assessment for neighbouring homes. You may hear a little more for a few minutes during a defrost cycle in cold weather.

Yes, air source heat pumps are designed to keep working well below freezing and can heat your home through a UK winter. The system is sized for a cold design day in your area, so it is designed to cope on the coldest days. Efficiency falls as the outside temperature drops, and the unit periodically defrosts its outdoor coil, when a little vapour is normal. See how air source heat pumps work.