Daikin Altherma vs LG Therma V: Which Air Source Heat Pump Is Better? (2026)
Quick Verdict
LG Therma V is the more efficient choice on its MCS-certified figures, with lower estimated running costs.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Daikin Altherma | LG Therma V |
|---|---|---|
| Installed price (before grant) | £7,000 - £14,000 | Price on quote |
| After £7,500 grant (illustrative, England and Wales) | £0 - £6,500 | Price on quote |
| SCOP at 35°C (MCS) | 4.47 | 5.33Higher |
| SCOP at 55°C (MCS) | 3.54 | 3.86Higher |
| Largest size | 14kWLarger homes | 12kW |
| Standard warranty | 2 years | 3 yearsLonger |
| Longest warranty (conditions apply) | 7 years | 7 years |
| Sound power (declared) | 54 dB(A) | 49 dB(A)Lower |
| Annual running cost (est., 45°C flow) | ~£655/yr | ~£575/yrLower |
| Refrigerant and max flow | R32, up to 70°C flow | R290, up to 75°C flowHotter flow for radiators |
| Country | Japan | South Korea |
| UK brand | No | No |
| Best for | Buyers wanting a split system with a small outdoor unit, or 70°C flow for radiators (3 H HT) | Homeowners who want a quiet R290 monobloc with strong cold-weather output from a major electronics brand |
Specifications and pricing are indicative for the UK market as at June 2026. Post-grant figures illustrate the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales (Scotland uses the Home Energy Scotland grant and loan; Northern Ireland has no equivalent). Running costs assume ~10,000 kWh of heat a year at 26.32p/kWh (Ofgem cap average, October to December 2026; changes quarterly). Confirm current models and exact pricing with your MCS-certified installer.
Price Comparison
Daikin Altherma starts from £7,000 installed before any support (indicative, June 2026). LG Therma V does not publish an installed price and no credible third-party figure exists, so we show none. For scale, the median Boiler Upgrade Scheme install cost £12,908 before the grant (DESNZ Boiler Upgrade Scheme median, April to June 2026). So this pair cannot be ranked on price. In England and Wales the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant comes off either quote equally, with 0% VAT until 31 March 2027; your MCS-certified installer claims the grant for you. Compare written quotes on the same basis: unit size, cylinder, radiator changes and warranty.
Efficiency Comparison
SCOP (seasonal coefficient of performance) is the key efficiency measure for a heating heat pump: the kilowatt-hours of heat you get per kilowatt-hour of electricity across a whole heating season. The figures here are MCS-certified, at 35°C flow (underfloor heating or large radiators) and 55°C (hotter radiators). Daikin Altherma is certified at 4.47 at 35°C and 3.54 at 55°C, while LG Therma V is certified at 5.33 and 3.86. On our estimates at a 45°C design flow temperature, the LG Therma V costs about £80 a year less to run at Ofgem cap electricity prices, or approximately £800 over ten years. Real-world efficiency depends heavily on system design and flow temperature, which is what the MCS heat loss survey is for.
Warranty Comparison
Daikin Altherma: 2 years as standard; 5 years free once Daikin's Stand By Me cover is activated, with annual maintenance; 7 years (years 6 and 7 paid) through partner installers. LG Therma V: LG UK's consumer warranty page lists Therma V at 3 years basic and 7 years extended, with the unit serviced 'biannually'. LG UK's business page lists 5 years extended but directs private homes to the consumer page. Neither page states what qualifies a home for the extended term. On standard terms, the LG Therma V has the longer cover; the longer terms on either side depend on registration, servicing and the installer. Workmanship cover for the installation itself comes separately from your installer and should be in writing.
Noise Comparison
Noise matters in UK homes because the outdoor unit often sits close to a neighbour's boundary or a bedroom window. The like-for-like figure is the maker's declared sound power: the noise the unit itself emits. Daikin Altherma: 54 dB(A). LG Therma V: 49 dB(A). On paper the LG Therma V is quieter by 5 dB(A). What a neighbour hears is much lower and falls with distance, and permitted development rules require the installation to meet the MCS noise standard at their window, so siting matters as much as the unit.
Cold-Weather and Retrofit Suitability
Two things decide how well a unit suits an older UK home: cold-weather output and flow temperature. Daikin Altherma uses R32 refrigerant (up to 70°C flow), while LG Therma V uses R290 (up to 75°C flow). The LG Therma V's higher flow temperature helps existing radiators carry the load without a full re-pipe. Modern units hold useful output well below freezing. In the colder parts of the UK (Scotland and northern England in particular), frosty mornings trigger short defrost cycles that trim efficiency, so ask each installer for low-temperature output figures and take the MCS heat loss survey seriously; radiator upsizing is more commonly recommended there so the system can run at efficient flow temperatures.
Pros and Cons
Daikin Altherma
Pros
- Split design with a compact outdoor unit (58.5 kg for the 3 R 8kW)
- Altherma 3 H HT reaches 70°C flow for radiator systems
- Rated to work down to -25°C (3 R) and -28°C (3 H HT)
Cons
- Standard warranty is 2 years; 5 needs Stand By Me activation and annual maintenance
- The 3 R 8kW has a high sound power (62 dB(A)), so siting matters
LG Therma V
Pros
- R290 refrigerant, rated A+++ at both 35°C and 55°C flow
- Quiet Mark listed (9 kW and 12 kW), with 49 to 50 dB(A) declared sound power
- Strong cold-weather output: 9.0 kW (9 kW model) and 11.8 kW (12 kW model) at -7°C
- Up to 75°C flow and operation down to -28°C outdoor
- Up to 7-year warranty for homes per LG UK's consumer warranty page, with servicing
Cons
- Large and heavy: the 12 kW unit is 1,560 mm wide and weighs 181 kg
- LG UK's warranty pages do not say what qualifies for the extended term
- Standard warranty is 3 years, and LG requires servicing 'biannually'
- No published installed price
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Daikin Altherma if...
- Buyers wanting a split system with a small outdoor unit, or 70°C flow for radiators (3 H HT)
Choose LG Therma V if...
- You want the higher certified efficiency (SCOP 5.33 vs 4.47 at 35°C, MCS)
- You want a longer standard warranty (3 yr (up to 7) vs 2 yr (up to 7))
- A lower declared sound power matters to you (49 vs 54 dB(A))
- You want lower estimated annual running costs (~£575/yr vs ~£655/yr)
- You want natural R290 refrigerant
- You are keeping existing radiators and want a higher maximum flow temperature (75°C vs 70°C)
The grant is the same, whichever brand you pick
Every air-to-water unit on this page qualifies for the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in England and Wales (£9,000 for oil and LPG heated homes until March 2027) when fitted by an MCS-certified installer, who claims it on your behalf so it comes straight off the quote. Scotland uses the Home Energy Scotland grant of up to £7,500 (£9,000 rural and island) plus an optional interest-free loan; Northern Ireland currently has no equivalent scheme. 0% VAT on residential installations applies UK-wide until 31 March 2027. Accurate as at July 2026.
Heat pump guides
- Air source heat pump installation cost in the UK
- The best air source heat pumps in the UK, compared
- The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme, explained
- Air source heat pumps: costs, grants and brands
- Heat pump grants in London
- Heat pump grants in South East England
- Heat pump grants in South West England
- Heat pump grants in East of England
- Heat pump grants in East Midlands
- Heat pump grants in West Midlands
- Heat pump grants in Yorkshire and the Humber
- Heat pump grants in North West England
- Heat pump grants in North East England
- Heat pump grants in Scotland
- Heat pump grants in Wales
- Heat pump grants in Northern Ireland
Where are you?
See indicative costs and local installers for your area