Air source heat pump cost in 2026
The heat pump number that matters is the one after the grant. Government scheme data puts the average installation at £13,431, and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off that for eligible homes in England and Wales, which is why a heat pump and a full boiler conversion can land in much the same place.
Typical cost
Just under £6,000
typical net cost once the £7,500 grant is applied
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Heat Pumps prices in 2026
| Job | Typical cost | What that covers |
|---|---|---|
| Average air source installation | £13,431 | An 8.4kW average unit, for installations from October to December 2025. |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant | Less £7,500 | Air source, ground source and water source, in England and Wales. |
| Typical net cost to you | Just under £6,000 | What a typical household pays once the grant comes off the quote. |
| Homes already heat-pump ready | Under £10,000 before grant | Where no radiator or cylinder upgrades are needed, the bill can be much lower. |
Ranges, not quotes. Every job is priced on the property, so treat these as the bracket your quotes should land in rather than a figure to hold an installer to.
What shapes your quote
Whether your radiators cope
A heat pump runs at a lower flow temperature than a boiler. If the emitters have to get bigger, that is the cost driver, not the pump itself.
Hot water cylinder
A combi household has no cylinder and will need one, plus somewhere to put it. It is often the single largest addition to the quote.
The heat loss survey
Sizing comes from a room-by-room heat loss calculation. An oversized unit cycles and costs more to run, so a quote issued without a survey is a guess.
Where the outdoor unit sits
Pipe run length, condensate drainage and noise limits at the boundary with a neighbour all shape what the install involves.
Being off the gas grid
Oil and LPG homes with no mains gas connection get an extra £1,500 until March 2027, which takes the grant to £9,000.
Insulation and controls
Loft and cavity insulation cut the heat the house needs, which can let you fit a smaller unit. Doing it first sometimes takes a size out of the quote rather than adding to it.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme in 2026
The grant is paid to your installer and comes off the quote, so you never handle the money. Your installer must be MCS certified and applies on your behalf.
- ✓£7,500 towards an air source, ground source or water source heat pump.
- ✓£2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump.
- ✓£5,000 towards a biomass boiler, in eligible properties.
- ✓An extra £1,500 until March 2027 where the property is heated by oil or LPG and has no mains gas connection.
- ✓Hybrid systems do not qualify, and neither does replacing an existing low-carbon heating system.
- ✓Installation is also zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027.
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Heat Pumps questions, answered
- How much does an air source heat pump cost?
- Government scheme data puts the average installation at £13,431 for an average 8.4kW unit between October and December 2025. After the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, a typical household pays just under £6,000.
- How much is the heat pump grant?
- £7,500 for an air source, ground source or water source heat pump, £2,500 for an air-to-air heat pump and £5,000 for a biomass boiler. Oil and LPG homes with no mains gas connection get an extra £1,500 until March 2027.
- Do I apply for the grant myself?
- No. Your MCS certified installer applies on your behalf, and the grant is deducted from what you pay rather than refunded to you afterwards.
- Will a heat pump work with my existing radiators?
- Sometimes. Because a heat pump runs at a lower flow temperature, some radiators need to be larger. A room-by-room heat loss survey is what tells you, and anything that needs changing should appear in the quote.
- Can I get heat pump quotes on WhatDeal?
- Yes. Answer a few questions about your home and heating, and up to three trusted, MCS-certified installers quote for the work, with the £7,500 grant applied where your home qualifies.
Why the survey decides the price
A heat pump is sized from a room-by-room heat loss calculation, not from the boiler it replaces. The calculation sets the unit size, whether any radiators need to grow, and what the running costs will look like, which is why the survey is where a real quote starts. A figure produced without one is a guess wearing a price tag.
The same survey is where the two big cost drivers show themselves: emitters and the cylinder. Radiators sized for a boiler's hotter water sometimes need upsizing for a heat pump's lower flow temperature, and a combi household has no hot water cylinder, so one has to be added and housed. Neither is bad news in itself, but both belong on the quote rather than arriving as extras.
The grant, from your side of it
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards an air source, ground source or water source heat pump in England and Wales, and the money never passes through your hands: your MCS-certified installer applies, the grant comes off the quote, and you pay the difference. That is why the quotes you compare should already show the net figure.
Two eligibility points catch people. The grant replaces fossil-fuel or direct electric heating, so topping up an existing heat pump does not qualify, and hybrid systems are excluded. And homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas connection get an extra £1,500 until March 2027, which an installer quoting properly will apply without being asked.
Running costs against a gas boiler
A heat pump moves heat rather than making it, delivering roughly three units of heat per unit of electricity across the year in a well-set-up system. Electricity costs more per unit than gas, so the two effects push against each other: efficiency multiplied against a dearer fuel.
In practice that lands most homes somewhere near parity with a good gas boiler on running cost, with the balance set by your tariff and how well the system is designed. Heat-pump-specific tariffs with cheap off-peak windows tilt it clearly in the pump's favour, and a system run at a low, steady flow temperature beats one being driven like a boiler.
Noise, placement and the neighbours
Modern air source units are quieter than most people expect, typically in the region of a dishwasher at a few metres, and installation under permitted development carries a noise limit at the nearest neighbour's window. Meeting it is part of the installer's job, using the manufacturer's data and the geometry of your plot.
Placement is the practical half: the unit needs airflow, a condensate route, and a spot that keeps pipe runs short, and the further it sits from bedrooms, yours and next door's, the less anyone ever thinks about it. It is a design question, and a good survey answers it before anything is ordered.
Heat Pumps guides & advice
Browse all guides →The £7,500 heat pump grant: how the Boiler Upgrade Scheme works
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards a heat pump in England and Wales. Who qualifies, how the money reaches you, and the small print.
Read the guide →
Air source heat pump running costs, explained honestly
What an air source heat pump costs to run against a gas boiler: the efficiency trade-off, what tariffs change, and what design gets wrong.
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Do heat pumps work in winter? The cold-weather question answered
Air source heat pumps keep working well below freezing. Europe's coldest countries are its biggest heat pump markets. A UK winter, explained.
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Heat pump or gas boiler: how to actually decide
Heat pump or new gas boiler? Upfront cost after the £7,500 grant, running costs, lifespan and comfort compared, and the situations where each one wins.
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Radiators, insulation and heat pumps: what actually needs upgrading
Some homes need bigger radiators for a heat pump and many need none at all. What low flow temperature means, and what the survey decides.
Read the guide →
Heat pump noise and planning rules: what neighbours will notice
How loud an air source heat pump really is, the permitted development rules after the 2025 relaxation in England, and how installers keep the neighbours happy.
Read the guide →
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Prices and grant rules change. Checked August 2026, and worth confirming the grant details on GOV.UK before you commit to anything.