Compare Heat Pump Quotes — 3 Free, No-Obligation Quotes
Heat pump quotes in the UK typically come in at £11,000–£14,000 for a 3-bed home before grants — but the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant cuts that to around £3,500–£6,500 fitted. Tell us about your home and we’ll match you with up to 3 vetted, insured MCS-certified heat pump installers near you — compare heat pump quotes side by side and pick the best value. 100% free, no obligation, and most quotes come back within 24–48 hours.
Heat pump quotes in the UK average £11,000–£14,000 installed for a typical 3-bed home, but the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant (England & Wales) brings the net cost down to roughly £3,500–£6,500. Always get three quotes from MCS-certified installers — MCS certification is required to claim the grant — and compare the system size, radiator upgrades and warranty, not just the headline price.
How much do heat pump quotes cost in 2026?
A heat pump quote covers far more than the unit itself. For most UK homes the price reflects the size of the heat pump (measured in kW), a new hot-water cylinder, any radiator upgrades needed to run at lower flow temperatures, pipework, controls and commissioning. That is why quotes vary so much from one home to the next — and why comparing three is the only reliable way to judge fair value.
As a rule of thumb, an air source heat pump (ASHP) for a typical 3-bed semi is quoted at £11,000–£14,000 before any grant, falling to around £3,500–£6,500 once the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is applied. Smaller, well-insulated homes can come in lower; large or poorly insulated properties that need multiple radiator upgrades cost more. The table below shows typical installed prices by home size.
| Home size | Typical system | Installed cost (before grant) | After £7,500 grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 bed flat / terrace | 4–5 kW ASHP | £8,000–£11,000 | £500–£3,500 |
| 3-bed semi | 8–10 kW ASHP | £11,000–£14,000 | £3,500–£6,500 |
| 4-bed detached | 12–16 kW ASHP | £13,000–£18,000 | £5,500–£10,500 |
| Large / rural home | 16 kW+ ASHP | £16,000–£22,000 | £8,500–£14,500 |
Figures are typical 2026 UK installed prices for a full air source heat pump system including cylinder and commissioning; they exclude VAT variances and unusual access. Domestic heat pump installs currently attract 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. Sources: Checkatrade, Energy Saving Trust.
Want the full breakdown before you request quotes? Our in-depth guide on how much an air source heat pump costs in 2026 walks through every line item, and if you are weighing a heat pump against a straight boiler swap, compare boiler quotes too.
What is the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant — and do I qualify?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a UK Government grant, administered by Ofgem, that pays £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump in England and Wales. It is deducted from your quote up front by the installer, so you never handle the paperwork or wait for a refund — the £7,500 simply comes off the price you pay.
Who is eligible for the £7,500 heat pump grant?
To qualify in 2026 you generally need to:
- Own a home or small non-domestic building in England or Wales (Scotland has its own Home Energy Scotland grants and loans).
- Have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with no outstanding recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation.
- Be replacing a fossil-fuel system (gas, oil or LPG boiler) or electric storage/panel heaters.
- Use an MCS-certified installer — the installer applies for the grant on your behalf.
From 21 July 2026 a temporary uplift raises the grant to £9,000 for off-gas-grid properties switching to an air-to-water or ground source heat pump, running until 31 March 2027. Rules can change, so check the latest position in our guide on whether the heat pump grant is still available in 2026 and confirm eligibility with your installer at survey stage.
ASHP vs GSHP: which heat pump is right for your home?
The two mainstream options in the UK are the air source heat pump (ASHP), which extracts heat from the outside air, and the ground source heat pump (GSHP), which draws heat from buried pipes in your garden or a borehole. Both qualify for the £7,500 grant, but they suit very different homes and budgets.
For the overwhelming majority of UK households an air source heat pump is the practical choice: it is far cheaper to install, needs only a small outdoor unit, and can be fitted in a couple of days. Ground source systems are more efficient and quieter, but the groundwork pushes costs and disruption up sharply — they make most sense for larger rural homes with plenty of land.
| Feature | Air source (ASHP) | Ground source (GSHP) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical installed cost | £8,000–£18,000 | £18,000–£45,000 |
| After £7,500 grant | £500–£10,500 | £10,500–£37,500 |
| Efficiency (SCOP) | 3.0–4.0 | 3.5–4.5 |
| Space needed | Outdoor unit (~1 m²) | Garden trenches or borehole |
| Install time | 1–3 days | 1–3 weeks (groundwork) |
| Best suited to | Most UK homes | Large rural homes with land |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant | £7,500 | £7,500 |
SCOP = Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (units of heat per unit of electricity). Sources: Checkatrade GSHP cost guide, Energy Saving Trust.
Not sure an air source unit is right for you? Read our honest verdict on whether an air source heat pump is worth it in 2026 before you commit. Most homeowners requesting quotes through BestBuilders are matched with ASHP installers.
How much does a heat pump cost to run vs a gas boiler?
Running cost is where most homeowners hesitate — and the honest answer is: it depends on your tariff and how well your system is set up. At the current Ofgem price cap (electricity around 24.5p/kWh, gas around 6.4p/kWh), a well-designed heat pump on a dedicated heat pump electricity tariff runs at or below the cost of a gas boiler. On a standard tariff, a poorly optimised heat pump can cost a little more.
The single biggest lever is the tariff: specialist heat pump tariffs offer cheap overnight and off-peak electricity and can cut annual heating costs by £200–£400. Pairing a heat pump with solar reduces bills further still.
| Heating setup (typical 3-bed home) | Annual heating cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| Gas boiler (90% efficient) | £760–£840 |
| ASHP on a standard tariff (SCOP 3.2) | £840–£1,100 |
| ASHP on a dedicated heat pump tariff | £450–£700 |
| ASHP + solar panels | £330–£500 |
Illustrative annual heating costs at 2026 price-cap rates; actual figures depend on insulation, system design and tariff. Sources: Energy Saving Trust, Ofgem.
Thinking about adding panels at the same time? A combined system is often the cheapest to run — see our comparison of solar vs heat pump running costs, get solar panel quotes, or read whether a heat pump is cheaper than a boiler in 2026.
Why do I need an MCS-certified installer?
MCS certification is not optional if you want the grant. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme will only pay out when your heat pump is designed and installed by an MCS-certified installer, and it is also your assurance that the system has been correctly sized to your home’s heat loss — the number-one cause of high running costs and cold rooms is an undersized or badly configured heat pump.
Every installer we match you with is MCS-certified, insured and vetted, so your quotes are grant-eligible from the outset. We never share your details with cold-callers, and you deal directly with the installers through your own preferred contact method — there are no pushy phone rooms in between.
How to compare heat pump quotes (what to check)
Three quotes on the same home can differ by thousands of pounds. Use these checks to compare like for like and avoid the two classic mistakes — buying on headline price alone, or accepting an oversized unit you will pay to run for 15 years.
What to look for in a good heat pump quote
- Heat-loss survey. A proper quote is based on a room-by-room heat-loss calculation, not a rule-of-thumb kW figure. Walk away from anyone who quotes without surveying.
- System size and flow temperature. A right-sized unit running at a low flow temperature (ideally 45°C or below) is cheaper to run. Ask for the design flow temperature.
- Radiator upgrades. Confirm which radiators are being changed and why — these are often the difference between quotes.
- Cylinder and controls. Check the hot-water cylinder size and that smart, weather-compensating controls are included.
- Brand and warranty. Compare the heat pump make, the SCOP, and the length of the manufacturer and workmanship warranties.
- Grant applied. The £7,500 should be shown clearly as a deduction, with the installer confirming they will process the BUS application.
Always get the quote in writing with a fixed scope, confirm the installer is insured and offers a workmanship guarantee, read recent reviews, and never pay a large deposit up front — tie payments to completed stages. If planning is a concern, most air source installs are permitted development, but check our guide on planning permission for a heat pump.
What affects the price of your heat pump quote?
Understanding the variables helps you read your quotes critically and spot which installer has scoped the job properly:
- Insulation and heat loss. A well-insulated home needs a smaller, cheaper heat pump. Poor insulation pushes up both the unit size and the number of radiator upgrades.
- Existing radiators and pipework. Homes that already run larger radiators or underfloor heating need fewer upgrades.
- Hot-water demand. More bathrooms means a bigger cylinder and, sometimes, a larger unit.
- Location and access. Rural or off-gas-grid homes, and tricky outdoor-unit siting, can add cost — though off-gas homes may qualify for the higher £9,000 grant.
- Brand and specification. Premium heat pumps with higher SCOP and longer warranties cost more up front but less to run.
Once you have your quotes, you can also line up any wider works — find trusted local installers and builders near you, explore solar installation, or if you decide a heat pump is not right yet, review boiler installation options.
What happens after you request your heat pump quotes?
Getting quotes through BestBuilders is designed to be quick and pressure-free. Here is exactly what to expect:
- Tell us about your home (60 seconds). Answer a few short questions about your property, current heating and rough timescale using the form above — no lengthy sign-up.
- We match you with up to 3 MCS-certified installers. We only pass your details to vetted, insured, grant-eligible installers who cover your postcode.
- You receive your quotes. Most homeowners hear back within 24–48 hours. Serious quotes will include a home survey — either in person or via a detailed remote assessment — before a fixed price is confirmed.
- Compare and choose. Line the quotes up using the checklist above, ask questions, and pick the best value. There is no obligation to proceed with any of them.
Because we route everything through a single form and never publish trade phone numbers, you stay in control of who you speak to and when. When you are ready, you can widen the search to related work — browse all free quotes or compare boiler quotes as a backup option.
Heat pump quotes — FAQs
Written by the BestBuilders Editorial Team — specialists in UK home-improvement costs and trades.
Reviewed by a UK MCS-certified heat pump installer for technical accuracy.
Last updated: July 2026 · Next scheduled review: October 2026.
How we produced this guide: Prices are compiled from published 2026 UK installer cost data, Government and Ofgem grant documentation, and Energy Saving Trust running-cost figures, then cross-checked against real quotes submitted through BestBuilders. We use ranges rather than single figures because heat pump prices depend heavily on each home’s heat loss, and we never publish invented supplier rates. See our editorial standards.
Ready to start? Get your 3 free heat pump quotes → Or explore more free quotes and find trusted MCS-certified installers near you.