Air Source Heat Pump Installation Cost in the UK (2026)
Typically £8,000 to £14,000 installed before any grant, or £700 to £6,700 after the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in England and Wales. Scotland has its own grant and loan; Northern Ireland has no equivalent scheme. 0% VAT applies until 31 March 2027.
Official benchmark: the median installed cost under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme was £12,908 in April to June 2026, with half of installs between £11,128 and £15,627 (England and Wales, a typical 8 kW system, before the grant is taken off).
Figures come from PumpSwap’s indicative 2026 price model and the brand prices we track, not from measured quotes. Your installer’s survey sets your price.
Cost by heat pump size
The size your home needs comes from a room-by-room heat loss calculation, not from the number of bedrooms alone. Prices below are installed, before the grant, across the 21 models we track.
| Size (heat output) | Usually suits | Installed, before grant | After £7,500 BUS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 6 kW | flats and small, well-insulated homes | £8,000 to £11,000 | £500 to £3,500 |
| 6 to 9 kW | typical 2 to 3 bedroom homes | £7,000 to £19,500 | £0 to £12,000 |
| 9 to 12 kW | larger or older 3 to 4 bedroom homes | £8,500 to £16,000 | £1,000 to £8,500 |
| Over 12 kW | large or poorly insulated homes | £10,000 to £14,000 | £2,500 to £6,500 |
Cost by brand
| Brand | Installed, before grant | Warranty (standard) |
|---|---|---|
| Daikin Altherma | £7,000 to £14,000 | 2 yr (up to 7) |
| Octopus Cosy | £8,000 to £12,000 | 8 yr |
| Samsung EHS | £8,000 to £12,000 | Not published |
| Grant Aerona3 | £8,000 to £13,000 | 1 yr (up to 7) |
| Mitsubishi Electric Ecodan | £9,000 to £14,000 | 3 yr (up to 7) |
| Worcester Bosch | £9,000 to £14,000 | 2 yr (up to 7) |
| Vaillant aroTHERM plus | £10,000 to £16,000 | 2 yr (up to 7) |
| Viessmann Vitocal | £10,000 to £16,000 | 2 yr (up to 7) |
| Aira | £14,229 to £19,500 | 5 yr (up to 15) |
| Panasonic Aquarea | Price on quote | 3 yr (up to 7) |
| NIBE S2125 | Price on quote | 2 yr (up to 7) |
| LG Therma V | Price on quote | 3 yr (up to 7) |
| Ideal Logic Air | Price on quote | Not published |
Weighing two brands? Our head-to-head comparisons set models, efficiency and warranties side by side.
What changes the price of an installation
- Unit size. Set by the heat loss calculation. An oversized unit costs more to buy and runs less efficiently.
- Hot water cylinder. A heat pump heats water into a cylinder, so replacing a combi boiler adds one, plus the space to fit it.
- Radiators. Heat pumps run at lower water temperatures, so some rooms need larger radiators to stay warm.
- Pipework and electrics. Older or narrower pipes, or a consumer unit upgrade, add labour and parts.
- Brand and warranty. Longer warranties usually depend on an accredited installer and registering the product.
- MCS certification. Needed for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales. Your installer handles the paperwork.
Grants and VAT across the UK
Boiler Upgrade Scheme. £9,000 for homes heated by oil or LPG until March 2027. Claimed by your MCS installer.
Home Energy Scotland grant, up to £9,000 for rural and island homes, plus an optional interest-free loan.
No equivalent scheme. The 0% VAT relief still applies.
0% VAT on residential heat pump installations runs until 31 March 2027, then 5%. Full detail: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme explained.
What it costs to run
For a home needing about 10,000 kWh of heat a year, at the Ofgem price cap (1 October to 31 December 2026):
- Air source heat pump (SCOP 3.8 to 4.5, electricity 26.32p per kWh): £585 to £695 a year
- 90% efficient gas boiler (gas 7.97p per kWh): about £890 a year
Unit rates only, standing charges excluded. Estimates, not quotes. Northern Ireland is outside the Ofgem cap.
Costs, grants and installers by region
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to install an air source heat pump in the UK?
Typically £8,000 to £14,000 installed before any grant, in PumpSwap's indicative 2026 price model with 0% VAT applied. In England and Wales the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant comes off the quote, which brings a typical job to £700 to £6,700. Your own price depends on the size your home needs, whether you need a new hot water cylinder or bigger radiators, and the brand you choose.
What is the average cost of an air source heat pump in the UK?
The official median was £12,908 in April to June 2026, from installer-reported costs under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales (Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics: August 2026). Half of installations cost between £11,128 and £15,627, and the typical system was 8 kW. Those costs include the grant, so after the £7,500 comes off, the median household paid about £5,408. Over the 2025/26 financial year the median was £13,021 across 30,590 installations.
How much is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant?
£7,500 off an air-to-water or ground-source heat pump (£2,500 for air-to-air) in England and Wales. Until March 2027, homes heated by oil or LPG can claim £9,000 (until March 2027). The EPC-certificate precondition was removed on 28 April 2026. Your installer must be MCS-certified and claims the grant for you - it comes straight off the quote. Scheme extended to 2030.
What grants are there in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Scotland does not use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Up to £7,500 grant toward a heat pump for Scottish homes, with a £1,500 rural and island uplift (up to £9,000 total). Apply through Home Energy Scotland before installation. Up to £7,500 more as an optional interest-free loan on top of the grant, repayable over up to 12 years. Northern Ireland has no equivalent grant scheme; the 0% VAT relief applies across the whole UK.
Do I pay VAT on a heat pump installation?
Residential installations of heat pumps, solar panels and home batteries are zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027 (then 5%). Applied automatically by the installer - typically worth £1,000-3,000 on a heat pump job versus standard 20% VAT.
Why do heat pump quotes vary so much?
Installed prices across the 13 brands PumpSwap compares run from £7,000 to £19,500 before the grant. The biggest drivers are the size of unit your home needs (set by a room-by-room heat loss calculation), whether a combi boiler is being replaced (which means adding a hot water cylinder), how many radiators need upsizing, pipework and electrical work, and the brand and warranty.
How much does an air source heat pump cost to run?
For a home needing about 10,000 kWh of heat a year, roughly £585 to £695 a year at the Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 (electricity 26.32p per kWh), assuming a seasonal efficiency (SCOP) of 3.8 to 4.5. A 90% efficient gas boiler would cost about £890 for the same heat at 7.97p per kWh, before standing charges. These are estimates, not quotes.
How do I get an accurate price for my home?
Ask an MCS-certified installer for a home survey with a heat loss calculation, then compare two or three quotes on the same basis: unit size, cylinder, radiator changes and warranty. The grant is claimed by the installer and taken off the quote, so compare prices after the grant.
Heat pump guides
- 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