Articles & Resources

A heat pump is worth it for most UK homes, but the honest answer is that it depends on your home and how you heat it now. What you get is reliable, consistent warmth — even heat through the day rather than a boiler’s peaks and lulls — and lower-carbon heating you can feel good about. And if your boiler is near the end of its life, that’s often the moment it makes most sense: rather than spending on a like-for-like replacement, you can put your money into the way the homes of the future are being heated. Running costs depend on your tariff, and our instant estimate will show you what to expect for your home.

Yes — heat pumps work right through a British winter. They keep producing heat well below freezing, which is why they're the standard choice for home heating across Norway, Sweden and Finland, where winters are far harsher than ours. The key is correct sizing: a proper survey designs your system around the coldest days your home actually sees, so it delivers steady warmth when you need it most.

Yes. Heat pumps can heat old and uninsulated homes well — the same government-backed study by the Energy Systems Catapult found no type or age of home unsuitable, including older, less-insulated properties, provided the system is designed correctly. Insulation isn’t a requirement for a heat pump to work; what matters is sizing the system and radiators to your home as it is. Good insulation will lower your running costs, so it’s worth doing where you can — but it’s not a barrier to getting started.

On the right system, yes. Some heat pumps can run in reverse to cool your home in summer as well as heat it in winter — but it needs to be a cooling-capable system, set up for it when it's installed rather than added later. If keeping cool in summer matters to you, tell us early and we'll factor it into your system design.

Generally, the more up-to-date and efficient your heating system, the lower the running cost. A heat pump uses a little electricity to capture a lot of heat, so what you pay comes down to your tariff — and the savings really come on a specialist heat-pump tariff. It’s worth knowing that a heat pump and a gas boiler aren’t directly comparable, because you use them in different ways: a heat pump gives steady, low-temperature warmth rather than short, hot bursts. Like for like, that usually means a better heating experience for a similar cost.

It depends on how you paid. If you bought your system outright, it simply stays with the home when you sell — there’s nothing to arrange. If you’re on the Heat Pump Plan, you have two options: pass the plan to the new owner free of charge (with their consent and a credit check), so it transfers with the home on the day of sale; or prepay the agreement, in which case ownership transfers to the buyer when you sell. We’ll talk you through whichever applies. Terms and status apply.

An estimate is a quick ballpark; a quote is your accurate, price-locked figure. Our instant estimate uses the information you give us, along with some assumptions about your home, to give you a rough idea in minutes — with no survey and no obligation. A good heat pump depends on getting the system right for your home, which takes an expert assessment in person. So for an accurate, price-locked quote, we carry out a full heat-loss survey to understand the precise characteristics of your home, your current system and your preferences, and design the right system around them. There may be a charge for the survey, but we’ll always make that clear from the outset. There’s never any obligation to go ahead.