Retrofit | Heat pumps

An air-source heat pump can heat any home — of any age or construction — as effectively as a gas boiler, and at comparable or lower running cost if correctly designed and installed by a competent installer.

The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant (£9,000 if you're currently on oil or LPG) means the net cost for a typical home after grants and VAT relief is often between £1,500 and £8,500 — and potentially less for a typical house.

This Buyer’s Guide from NailsworthCAN gives you the tools to find a competent installer, ask the right questions, spot the red flags, and compare quotes on what actually matters — not just the quoted price price (click on image below).

Why are they so efficient?

A Heat Pump is based on the principle of heat transfer. Heat transfer uses a small amount of energy to transfer the free and renewable low-grade heat from the air or ground to high-grade heat suitable for space or water heating in homes.

Heat pumps are extremely efficient and are a proven technology. For every unit of electricity to run a heat pump, they deliver at least three units of heat (i.e. at least 300% efficient).

And when replacing an old gas boiler, running costs do not need to rise when installing an air-source heat pump, as we explored in How to heat your home with the minimum amount of energy, and save the planet. Installing a heat pump is the single biggest thing a householder can do to reduce the carbon footprint of heating.

Heat pumps are part of a bigger picture

Heat pumps are part of a wider transition towards electrification of much of our end-use of energy (see The Future Is Electric). For more insight, please go to our piece on Demystifying Heat Pumps.