Guide: heat-pump cost
Heat pump quotes UK: installation cost and what should be included
A proper heat-pump quote is a heating-system design, not a box price. Compare the full installation scope, including radiators, pipework, hot water, electrics and survey work, before comparing the final figure.
Last reviewed: September 2026
What changes the cost of a heat-pump installation?
The heat pump itself is only one part of the installed price. Two homes can need very different amounts of work even when they end up with similar outdoor units.
- 01The heat-loss result and the output needed on the coldest design day.
- 02Whether existing radiators are large enough for the intended flow temperature.
- 03Whether a new hot-water cylinder is required and where it can be fitted.
- 04How much pipework needs changing, upgrading or insulating.
- 05Electrical work, including isolators and any required consumer-unit changes.
- 06The difficulty of siting the outdoor unit, base and condensate drainage.
- 07Commissioning, controls setup, handover and warranty requirements.
- 08Whether the quote shows the gross price and any grant support separately and clearly.
What should be itemised
- 01Heat pump make, model and design output.
- 02Room-by-room heat-loss calculation.
- 03Target design flow temperature.
- 04Radiators or other emitters being replaced or retained.
- 05Hot-water cylinder and controls.
- 06Pipework changes and insulation.
- 07Outdoor unit base, siting and condensate arrangements.
- 08Electrical work, isolators and any consumer-unit changes.
- 09Commissioning, controls setup and handover.
- 10Grant treatment, with the gross and net price made clear.
Why two heat-pump quotes can differ so much
One installer may have included radiator upgrades, a new cylinder and difficult pipework while another has assumed most of your existing system can stay. That is not necessarily a price difference; it may be a scope difference.
The cheapest quote can become the most expensive if it achieves the lower price by skipping design work and then runs the system at a higher flow temperature to compensate.
Before comparing price, compare design
- Same room-by-room heat-loss basis.
- Same target indoor temperatures.
- Same design outside temperature.
- Same or comparable flow temperature.
- Same radiator/emitters scope.
- Same hot-water solution.
- Same grant treatment and VAT assumptions.