How do they work?

See how a heat pump operates.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

Find out more about governments £7,500 grant.

What are the costs?

What are the usual costs of installing a heat pump in your home?

What am I able to save?

Check out how much you can save on your energy bill.

Everything around us contains thermal energy – or heat. Heat naturally flows from a warmer place to a colder place. To provide the heat energy in a home when outdoor temperatures are colder, we need heat to flow in the opposite direction – from a colder place to a warmer place. But how does it do it?

When the pressure of a gas increases, the temperature also increases. When the pressure decreases, the temperature decreases. This relationship between pressure and temperature is the key to how a heat pump works.

The gas is called a ‘refrigerant’ and a heat pump uses electricity to compress this refrigerant, increasing the pressure and therefore the temperature.

As the refrigerant’s heat is transferred to your home through the heat exchanger, it cools down a little. The refrigerant is then allowed to expand so that it cools even further. It’s now cold enough to absorb more heat from outside and begin the process again.

The heat delivered to the heat exchanger can then be used to heat your home. This would normally be done using a central heating system – but it could also be done using warm air in either an air-to-air heat pump or an exhaust air heat pump.

A heat pump extracts heat from the air, ground or water and uses it to heat a home. This means it is a form of 'renewable energy' so it is more efficient than typical heating systems that rely on fossil fuels like gas or oil. Heat pumps are also eligible for the governments Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

A heat pump runs on electricity: so while the energy consumption in the house increases, the fossil fuel consumption decreases. If you generate the required electricity yourself, for example with solar panels, the CO₂ emissions will be even lower.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a UK Government grant for people in England and Wales who want to install a heat pump or a biomass boiler.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers three low carbon heating systems. The level of grant towards a heat pump increased from £5,000 to £7,500 on 23 October 2023.

The grant of up to £7,500 can cover part of the cost of replacing fossil fuel heating systems with a heat pump or biomass boiler.

Fossil fuel heating systems include oil, gas or electric.

As a BUS installer, we can make the application on your behalf with your consent, come in touch today to find out how we can help.

Installation Cost

The cost of an air source heat pump varies depending on:

• the size of heat pump.
• the size of the property.
• whether it’s a new-build or an existing property.
• whether you need to change the way you distribute heat around your property.

Typical costs are around £12,000 -14,000 and if you live in England and Wales you can get £7,500 towards an air source heat pump with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Running Cost

Running costs depend on how well your heat pump is designed and how it’s operated. Savings on your energy bill also depend on the system you’re replacing.

You can see potential annual savings of installing a standard air source heat pump, including any recommended radiator upgrades, in an average sized, three-bedroom semi-detached home, below.

For a detailed calculation we always recommend a complimentary home assessment to see which system would be most suitable.