How much do heat pumps cost?
Heat pump costs can vary considerably, with no home or installation quite like another. Factors affecting heat pump cost include the size of your home, how much work needs to be undertaken to modernise your central heating system, and your target monthly heat pump running costs.
If you want a general idea of heat pump costs, you’re in the right place. In this article, we explain what can impact heat pump costs, as well as three example price points for Good Energy heat pump installations.
What impacts heat pump cost?
Getting a heat pump requires more design and installation work than replacing a fossil fuel boiler with a newer model. This makes the upfront cost higher – something which the Government’s £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant helps to bring down.
Here are three factors that influence heat pump installation cost the most:
1. How much energy your home uses to stay warm
Heat pump units vary in size (and cost) depending on how much energy your home uses to stay warm – something that we will calculate during a heat pump design consultation.
Large or poorly insulated homes will usually require a larger heat pump, or even two heat pumps, because of the increased heating load. Larger heat pumps are typically more expensive than units suited for smaller or well insulated homes.
2. How many central heating upgrades your home needs
Heat pumps are designed to generate heat at a lower temperature and more slowly than boilers, to improve efficiency. Because of this, some homes will require upgrades to their central heating system to keep each room cosy and comfortable at this lower, more efficient flow temperature.
Changes to your central heating system may include radiator upgrades and a new heat-pump-ready hot water cylinder. Depending on the size of your home and the complexity of your installation, this work will often involve replacing or re-routing pipework – sometimes long distances – between your heat pump, hot water cylinder and radiators.
3. Your desired heat pump running costs
Heat pumps run most efficiently (and cheaply) at a flow temperature of up to around 55 degrees. However, it is possible to increase the temperature of a heat pump system to reduce the number of central heating upgrades your home needs.
This would bring down the upfront cost, but it would increase monthly running costs.
At the moment, only heat pumps with an efficiency of 280% or above are eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant of £7,500. We’d work with you to ensure your heat pump surpassed this efficiency (ours are 360% efficient on average), and help you to strike the right balance between upfront cost and monthly running costs during your heat pump design consultation.
How much do Good Energy heat pumps cost?
At Good Energy, we design and install efficient, reliable heat pump systems that are bespoke for each home.
We directly employ highly qualified and experienced teams of surveyors, designers, plumbers and electricians to guarantee quality and a great customer experience.
Here are three average costs for a Good Energy heat pump installation, at varying levels of complexity. We apply for the Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant of £7500 on our customers’ behalf, which has already been removed from these example costs.
Simple installation: £4,065
Assumptions: 2-4 days spent onsite. Various sizes of heat pump. 0-1 radiator changes, short section of pipework routing between the heat pump and the hot water cylinder (less than 15 metres).
Standard installation: £8,390
Assumptions: 5-6 days spent onsite. Various sizes of heat pump. 0-5 radiator changes, hot water cylinder replacement, longer section of pipework routing between heat pump and hot water cylinder.
Complex installation: £12,670
Assumptions: 7+ days spent onsite. 1-2 heat pumps of various sizes. 4+ radiator changes. Longer section of pipework routing between heat pump and hot water cylinder. Sometimes microbore pipework upgrades, shower processor changes, complex cylinder locations (i.e. basement, loft) and more.
Complete our free online quote tool for a more accurate cost for your heat pump installation.
What should you consider when comparing heat pump quotes?
As with most industries, heat pump cost can vary between companies. Some suppliers offer cheaper installations by using lower quality heat pump units, by subcontracting the work, or by reducing the amount of time spent on the design phase.
Whilst these changes reduce heat pump cost, they can also reduce heat pump reliability and efficiency, meaning that you could end up paying more in your energy bills over the lifetime of the heat pump (20-30 years).
We recommend looking into the following when you are comparing heat pump quotes:
- Is the quote inclusive of all central heating upgrades your home requires?
It’s important to compare like with like. - What external accreditations does the installer have?
Installers need to be MCS-certified at a minimum to ensure high standards and to access the £7,500 heat pump grant. - How thorough is the heat pump design consultation or survey?
A thorough design ensures your heat pump will meet your heating and hot water needs with low running costs.
- What efficiency does the installer target in their design?
Our heat pumps achieve a year-round average efficiency of 360%, meaning lower running costs. - What heat pump brand(s) do they install, and what warranty do they offer?
This shows the confidence the installer has in the product. - What do their customers think of their service?
Verified reviews on websites like Which? or Trustpilot will give you confidence in your installer. - What servicing and aftercare do they offer: Your heat pump can only be serviced by engineers that are accredited or trained with the heat pump manufacturer. You need to choose a reliable installer that will be around for the long term.
Want to find out how much a heat pump would cost in your home? Get a free no-obligation quote today.
