UK Air Source Heat Pump Cost Index
June 2026 Edition
Town-level indicative pricing across 2,641 towns, 12 regions, and 8 brands with a verified UK presence. Figures are out-of-pocket prices after the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in England and Wales and the Home Energy Scotland grant in Scotland. Northern Ireland has no grant equivalent, so its figures are full installed prices.
Across 2,572towns in England, Scotland and Wales. Typical pre-grant installed prices run £8,000 to £14,000 (Ofgem's recorded average is about £12,500 for an 8kW system, January 2026).
Cost by Region
| Region | Towns | Avg Out-of-Pocket Price | Mains Gas % (est.) | Most Affordable Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 246 | £521-£6,627 | 90% | Beckenham (£350) |
| South East England | 404 | £700-£6,710 | 77% | Basingstoke (£350) |
| South West England | 229 | £741-£6,741 | 61% | Budleigh Salterton (£350) |
| East of England | 294 | £709-£6,709 | 70% | Aylsham (£350) |
| East Midlands | 232 | £646-£6,646 | 82% | Anstey (£350) |
| West Midlands | 155 | £654-£6,654 | 85% | Bartley Green (£350) |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 194 | £601-£6,601 | 85% | Baildon (£350) |
| North West England | 252 | £563-£6,563 | 89% | Bebington (£350) |
| North East England | 92 | £566-£6,566 | 91% | Billingham (£350) |
| Scotland | 303 | £699-£6,735 | 67% | Ballingry (£350) |
| Wales | 171 | £671-£6,671 | 66% | Amlwch (£350) |
| Northern Irelandno grant; full installed price | 69 | £8,193-£14,193 | 24% | Dundonald (£7,850) |
Mains gas % is an editorial estimate of homes on the gas grid. Great Britain averages roughly 85%; Northern Ireland is oil-dominated, with most homes off mains gas. England and Wales figures are after the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant; Scotland after the Home Energy Scotland grant (modelled at the same £7,500); Northern Ireland figures are full installed prices.
Key Findings
The grant does the heavy lifting
A typical air source heat pump installs for £8,000 to £14,000 before support, and the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant takes most households in England and Wales to £500 to £6,500 out of pocket. Octopus Energy's installs average about £4,460 after the grant and plenty of quotes land near £1,000. Scotland's Home Energy Scotland grant works to similar effect, with a rural and island uplift to £9,000 plus an optional interest-free loan.
The typical UK job is a gas-boiler swap, and gas is getting dearer
Roughly 85% of GB homes heat with a mains-gas boiler, and the Ofgem cap gas unit rate rises 27% on 1 July 2026 (5.74p to 7.33p per kWh). At cap rates, a heat pump running at SCOP 3.8 to 4.5 delivers heat at or below gas-boiler cost, and cheaper on heat-pump time-of-use tariffs.
Northern Ireland is the honest exception
NI has no Boiler Upgrade Scheme equivalent, so budget the full installed price there. It is also oil-dominated rather than gas-dominated, which changes the running-cost story: a heat pump replaces oil deliveries and price swings. 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 applies UK-wide.
Combi conversions and radiators set the top of the range
Homes replacing a combi boiler add a hot water cylinder, and some homes need radiators upsized so the system can run at efficient flow temperatures. Both push quotes toward the top of the band, which is why comparing two or three quotes matters; the heat-loss survey that comes with every MCS installation sets the real scope.
Methodology
The PumpSwap Cost Index is compiled from published UK installer and manufacturer pricing for the 8 brands with a verified UK presence, mapped across 2,641 towns in 12 regions. Figures are indicative out-of-pocket prices as at June 2026 with 0% VAT (until 31 March 2027) already applied: in England and Wales the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is deducted; in Scotland the Home Energy Scotland grant is modelled at the same value; in Northern Ireland no deduction is made because no grant exists. Pre-grant installed prices typically run £8,000 to £14,000, with combi-to-cylinder conversions and radiator upgrades pushing the top end.
Treat every figure as a range, not a quote. For town-level pricing, use our town cost lookup.
Cite This Data
Journalists and researchers are welcome to cite this data with attribution:
Source: PumpSwap UK Air Source Heat Pump Cost Index, June 2026. pumpswap.co.uk/air-source-heat-pump/cost-index