If your boiler is getting older, your heating bills are a concern or you are planning work on your home, this is a good time to find out whether an air source heat pump could suit you.
You can start by checking the property, comparing costs and understanding what an installation would involve. That gives you time to make a decision while your present heating is still working.
There is also a reason to pay attention to the news. Reports about possible changes to heat-pump funding have raised questions about the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. As of 12 October 2026, current official guidance still lists the grants. It is worth understanding the support available and getting advice based on your own home.
Is now a good time to get a heat pump? Start with your home
A boiler breakdown can leave you choosing a replacement in a hurry. Looking at a heat pump beforehand gives you time to ask questions, arrange an assessment and compare what different installers propose.
For most homeowners considering an air source heat pump for central heating, the discussion will be about an air-to-water system. The outdoor unit supplies heat to water that circulates through radiators or underfloor heating. Your installer will also need to work out how the system will provide and store hot water.
There are useful questions to answer early. Where could the outdoor unit go? Is there room for a hot-water cylinder? Would any radiators need changing? How much work would be involved inside the house?
If you are already planning an extension, replacing radiators or improving insulation, raise the heat-pump question before those decisions are settled. It may help you plan the work together.
Grants remain available for eligible homes
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme operates in England and Wales. Current guidance lists £7,500 towards an eligible air-to-water heat pump.
Eligible homes replacing oil or LPG heating, without a mains gas connection, can receive an additional £1,500, bringing the grant to £9,000. The uplift is currently available until 31 March 2027. Eligibility and application conditions still apply. Check the current government grant guidance.
Your MCS-certified installer applies on your behalf. Ask them to explain the grant you qualify for, the full installation cost and what you would pay after the grant. Include radiator changes, hot-water equipment and other necessary work in that comparison. Ofgem explains how the scheme works.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have different arrangements, so the England and Wales figures should not be used for every UK property.
What today's funding reports mean
On 12 October, Nesta responded to reports that the government is considering cuts to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Those reports do not establish that an individual homeowner's grant has already been reduced. Read Nesta's statement.
There is a difference between reducing the total scheme budget and changing the amount available for each eligible installation. Until details are officially announced, the effect on future applications is uncertain.
For now, use the published rules when discussing a quote and ask the installer to check them again before applying. Arranging a survey or receiving a quote does not reserve a grant.
Check the running costs for your home
An air source heat pump takes heat from the outside air and uses electricity to raise its temperature for heating. It can reduce energy use and emissions, but the bill comparison depends on the heating system you are replacing, the design and your electricity tariff.
Energy Saving Trust explains that appropriately sized radiators, controls and tariff choices affect running costs. A heat pump on a standard electricity tariff can cost slightly more to run than a new gas or oil boiler; suitable time-of-use tariffs can improve the comparison. Read its air source heat pump guidance.
Ask an installer to show you the assumptions behind an estimate: your home's heat demand, the expected seasonal efficiency and the electricity prices used. If the calculation depends on a particular tariff, ask how the result changes on another tariff.
A useful quote should help you understand both the upfront cost and the likely cost of living with the system.
Find out what your property needs
A survey helps the installer work from the details of your home. At Vertex, an ASHP survey records room dimensions, windows, external doors and radiators, together with photographs that help the designer check the information.
We also record the existing heating and hot-water equipment, accessible insulation, electrical equipment and possible outdoor-unit positions. Access, drainage, pipe routes and nearby windows or boundaries can all affect the proposed layout. Loft checks depend on safe access and the scope booked.
That information supports the installer's design work. It helps them identify what needs further checking and explain any proposed changes before installation. See what happens during an ASHP survey.
When comparing proposals, ask:
- What does the assessment show about my home's heating needs?
- Which radiators or other parts of the system need changing, and why?
- Where will the outdoor unit and hot-water equipment go?
- What is included in the price, and what might cost extra?
- Which grant applies, and who handles the application?
- What running costs are expected, and what assumptions are being used?
Take the next step with a clear picture of the work
If you have been thinking about a heat pump, now is a sensible time to investigate. You can find out what is possible, what support applies and whether the costs work for you before an urgent replacement forces the decision.
Speak to an MCS-certified installer about your options. If they need a property survey to support their design, see what Vertex's ASHP survey includes. If your visit is already booked, our what-to-expect guide explains the access we need and how to prepare.