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Panasonic Aquarea vs Aira: Which Air Source Heat Pump Is Better? (2026)

Quick Verdict

Panasonic Aquarea is the more efficient choice on its MCS-certified figures, with lower estimated running costs, while Aira has the longer standard warranty (5 yr (up to 15)).

Side-by-Side Comparison

FeaturePanasonic AquareaAira
Installed price (before grant)Price on quote£14,229 - £19,500
After £7,500 grant (illustrative, England and Wales)Price on quote£6,729 - £12,000
SCOP at 35°C (MCS)4.71Higher4.62
SCOP at 55°C (MCS)3.57Higher3.52
Largest size12kWLarger homes8kW
Standard warranty3 years5 yearsLonger
Longest warranty (conditions apply)7 years15 yearsLonger
Sound power (declared)53 dB(A)Lower56 dB(A)
Annual running cost (est., 45°C flow)~£635/yrLower~£645/yr
Refrigerant and max flowR290, up to 75°C flowHotter flow for radiatorsR290, up to 70°C flow
CountryJapanSweden
UK brandNoNo
Best forHomeowners who want a mainstream Japanese brand with R290 models, including a T-CAP unit that holds full output in cold weatherHomeowners who want one company to handle design, installation and upkeep, and are happy to pay a monthly plan for 15-year cover

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

Panasonic Aquarea 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). Aira starts from £14,229 installed before any support (indicative, 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). Panasonic Aquarea is certified at 4.71 at 35°C and 3.57 at 55°C, while Aira is certified at 4.62 and 3.52. On our estimates at a 45°C design flow temperature, the Panasonic Aquarea costs about £10 a year less to run at Ofgem cap electricity prices, or approximately £100 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

Panasonic Aquarea: Up to 7 years parts and labour when a Panasonic PRO Partner supplies and installs the system and submits the warranty extension online after commissioning. The 3-year standard term comes from Panasonic's 2017 scheme; no current Panasonic UK page states the base term. Aira: 5 years product warranty as standard (repair or replacement of the defective product only, no labour, conditional on servicing per Aira's handbook), plus a separate 6-year design and installation warranty. The 15-year Aira Guarantee (all parts, labour and maintenance) applies only with the All Inclusive Plan: free for the first year, then £19.90 a month. On standard terms, the Aira 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. Panasonic Aquarea: 53 dB(A). Aira: 56 dB(A). On paper the Panasonic Aquarea is quieter by 3 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. Panasonic Aquarea uses R290 refrigerant (up to 75°C flow), while Aira uses R290 (up to 70°C flow). The Panasonic Aquarea'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

Panasonic Aquarea

Pros

  • R290 refrigerant in both the L Series and T-CAP M Series
  • Water flow temperatures up to 75°C for radiator systems
  • T-CAP M Series 12 kW keeps its full 12 kW output at -7°C outdoor
  • Up to 7-year parts and labour warranty through Panasonic PRO Partner installers
  • Fitted by ScottishPower's installer Plug Me In; British Gas has a Panasonic service deal

Cons

  • The 7-year warranty only applies when a PRO Partner installer registers it
  • T-CAP M Series outdoor units are large and heavy: 1,520 mm tall and 161 kg
  • L Series 9 kW output falls to 7.0 kW at 2°C and -7°C outdoor (35°C flow)
  • No published installed price

Aira

Pros

  • Designed, sold, installed and maintained by Aira itself
  • R290 refrigerant, rated A+++ at 35°C
  • 15 years of parts, labour and maintenance cover on the All Inclusive Plan (first year free)
  • Publishes real-world UK performance data: average SPF 3.79 for November to March
  • Published pricing: £7,150 to £12,000 after the grant, per Aira

Cons

  • Only available through Aira, so there are no competing quotes on the same hardware
  • Without the paid plan, the product warranty is 5 years, parts only, with no labour
  • Aira's headline SCOP of 4.7 is above its MCS-listed figures (4.40 to 4.62)
  • Declared sound power of 56 dB(A) (8 kW), higher than the LG and NIBE models here (49 to 50 dB(A))

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Panasonic Aquarea if...

  • You want the higher certified efficiency (SCOP 4.71 vs 4.62 at 35°C, MCS)
  • A lower declared sound power matters to you (53 vs 56 dB(A))
  • You want lower estimated annual running costs (~£635/yr vs ~£645/yr)
  • You are keeping existing radiators and want a higher maximum flow temperature (75°C vs 70°C)

Choose Aira if...

  • You want a longer standard warranty (5 yr (up to 15) vs 3 yr (up to 7))

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.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide →Gas boiler vs heat pump calculator →

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