In many cases, the installation of a heat pump is considered as permitted development provided certain limitations and conditions are met. If you live in a listed building or a conservation area, then further requirements might apply. The requirements vary in each devolved nation, so it’s best to check with your local planning department before proceeding.

For example, in England when installing air-source heat pumps, the volume of the air source heat pump’s outdoor compressor unit (including housing) must not exceed 0.6 cubic metres. More information for England can be found here. More information for Wales can be found here. More information for Scotland can be found

The installation of a ground source heat pump or a water source heat pump on domestic premises is usually considered to be permitted development, and not needing an application for planning permission. However, it’s best to contact your local council to check here

You should also inform your local district network operator (DNO) prior to installing a heat pump. The DNO is the company responsible for bringing electricity from the network to your home. Your MCS installer can assist you with this and you can find more information in this guidance from the Energy Network Association.

You can find more guidance on registering a heat pump in England, Scotland and Wales on the UK Government website.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a government grant programme for homes in England and Wales. Vouchers of £7,500 (as of 23rd October 2023) are available towards the installation costs of air and ground/water source heat pumps respectively. More information about eligible properties and how to apply can be found here.

The Home Energy Grant is government funded support worth around £5,000  available for energy saving home improvements like heating and insulation. More information can be found here

Generally, yes. A recent study found that all housing types are suitable for heat pumps. However, in order to ensure the system runs as efficiently as possible, insulation and radiator upgrades may be required, your installer should be able to advise on this.

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Heat pumps operate at their most efficient when they distribute a low flow temperature around the heating system. Many domestic properties will already have radiators that are compatible with a heat pump system. In some cases, it may be beneficial to upgrade to larger radiators, in order to run the heat pump as efficiently as possible.

Radiators come in many different shapes and sizes. Often, single panel radiators can be swapped for double or triple panel radiators to increase surface area, without needing to increase the amount of wall area taken up. This can more than triple the heat emitted without taking up more wall space. Radiator upgrades can be a cost-effective way of improving the efficiency of your heat pump and saving on energy bills.

Some wet central heating systems installed in the 1970s have a particular type of piping (called microbore), which has a small internal diameter. This can be problematic when upgrading to a heat pump. The very small pipe diameter means the heat pump cannot transfer water quickly enough to the radiators. If you think you have microbore pipe, speak to your installer when they come to survey your house.

Heat pumps are considered an excellent partner with underfloor heating which works with low flow temperatures. However, retrofitting underfloor heating in existing homes can be practically challenging.

Ultimately, the perceivable noise will depend on the heat pump running conditions, the acoustic environment, and the quality of the external unit.

Ground and water source heat pumps are typically located inside your home in an insulated casing which limits any noise intrusion.

The air source heat pumps outdoor unit typically has sound power levels between 55 – 75 dB(A) depending on the manufacture and output. However, some external units operate as low as 40 decibels. For comparison, this is about the same volume as a quiet library! The running noise from the outside unit of an air source heat pump can be described as a low-level background “hum”. MCS installers are required to carry out a noise assessment prior to installation of an air-source heat pump.

The cost of heat pumps varies according to the heat load of your property, the size of heat pump required to heat the home, the heat pump technology chosen and any additional installation requirements, such as radiator upgrades, that might be needed as part of the install.

A well-designed efficient heat pump system may offer lower or comparable running costs to a natural gas boiler system. Given that the price of natural gas is expected to rise again in future, heat pumps may provide a degree of shielding against future price fluctuations.

For those currently using oil or LPG fuels to heat their homes, a well-designed heat pump system should save you money over a yearly period, provided the system is installed correctly.

How the operating conditions will affect your energy bill will depend on several factors, including:

• What fuel you are replacing and how much it costs,
• Your electricity tariff,
• Which type of heat pump you install and how efficient it is,
• The design of your central heating system,
• Your location and its average air or ground temperatures throughout the year.

Yes! A standard heat pump requires a cylinder to store hot water. The cylinder allows the heat pump to gradually heat the water, and store it for the moment it is needed.

Most heat pumps can provide and store water at 55°C, periodically heating up to 60°C or higher for disinfection purposes. Alternatively, some systems use an immersion heater to top up the water to the required temperature.

Boiler cylinders cannot normally be used with a low temperature heat pump, as the coil within the cylinder is not large enough. Therefore, a heat pump cylinder with an appropriately sized coil is usually recommended to ensure that the required hot water temperature is achieved in the most efficient manner.

A heat pump system works harder when there is a larger difference in temperature between the external medium and what is needed in your radiators or underfloor heating. While we can’t control the temperature of the external source, it’s possible to design heating systems that use lower temperature water indoors, using less electricity while still comfortably heating your home.

By using larger radiators, or underfloor heating, more heat can be delivered into the room without increasing the water temperature. Running the heating system for longer is another way of delivering more heat into the room with lower temperature water. This allows for lower running costs than if the system had to run at a higher temperature.

A well-designed system will therefore reduce the heating water temperature as much as possible. A full room-by-room heat loss calculation should be carried out by your installer to ensure the heating system can provide the heat required efficiently. From this the heating requirement of the house will be noted, allowing for the optimum heat pump to be selected and installed.

A list of independently assessed MCS certified installers can be found here. Note that the HPA does not recommend, endorse or suggest possible heat pump installers.