Air Source Heat Pump Costs in the UK: 2024 Guide

Air source heat pumps are an energy-efficient, sustainable way to meet your household’s heating and cooling demands. The cost of heat pumps in the UK can range from £2,400 to £14,050. Despite how much air source heat pumps cost in the UK, they can be worth it, providing up to £290 in annual savings (when considering the running costs of heat pumps vs boilers) for many years to come.

In what follows, we’ll walk you through how much it costs to replace a boiler with a heat pump. However, if you want to find out the exact heat pump installation cost in the UK, you will need to consult a heat pump installer.

So, how much are heat pumps in the UK? The supply cost of an air source heat pump ranges from £2,400 to £12,350. It can cost between £4,000 to £6,500 for the average 3-bedroom home. Air to air heat pumps are on the lower end of this price range, as they can only provide heating and cooling. Air to water heat pumps, on the other hand, can also be connected to your central heating system to supply your home with hot water.

Compared to other heat pump options, air source heat pump prices in the UK are quite low, as ground source heat pumps cost between £16,200 and £49,000 including installation. Hybrid systems or high temperature air source heat pumps also tend to cost considerably more, ranging between £11,000 to £42,500.

The exact cost of an air source heat pump installation will vary depending on your situation. Below you can find the estimated cost of installing an air to air or air to water heat pump in an average household:

These costs are estimates. Get a local installer QUOTE now!

As you can see, the cost of heat pumps in the UK is relatively high compared to other systems. To lessen the financial burden of installing this renewable energy source for your home, you can apply for grants such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. This way, you can receive a grant of up to £7,500 that will be deducted from the total costs you pay to your installer.

There are also other grants but they can be regionally-dependent. For example, the Warm Homes Programme can decrease the standard air source heat pump cost in Wales for all households. Other grants like Warmer Homes Scotland caters to those struggling with energy bills.

Compared to traditional heating systems, air source heat pumps generally have low running costs. As a result, you’ll be able to avoid overspending on your energy bills in the long run.

To give you an indication of the cost of running a heat pump, we calculated the yearly running costs of an air source heat pump. Some of the factors we considered to determine the running costs of domestic heat pumps are the Coefficient of Performance (COP), the heating requirements of average households, and current energy costs in the UK.

If you’re wondering “how much does air source heating cost?”, the table below can help answer that for different home sizes:

These costs are averages. Get a local installer to QUOTE now!

It is important to note that the exact running costs you will have to pay depend on several factors such as:

Note: The video contains some outdated savings figures that may not reflect current energy trends. Prices shown on the rest of this page are reflective of the most recent energy price cap.

Heat pump service costs can range from £150 to £300. This can vary on the extent of the services necessary. Service costs can be higher for ground source heat pumps and can also vary based on installer rates.

It’s also possible to do your own maintenance. This will require inspecting ducts, filters, the blower, and indoor coils for debris, dirt, and other possible sources of blockage. This may not end up being too expensive as it doesn’t require any elaborate tools to perform.

Maintaining a heat pump can be important as a unit that isn’t up to scratch will end up consuming up to 25% more energy than one that is reasonably maintained, according to heat pump manufacturer Viessmann.

While you can notice savings in your yearly heating bills after some time, the installation costs of an air source heat pump can be quite off-putting. To avoid overspending on a new air source heat pump, you will want to compare the installation prices of several different installers.

Currently, an air source heat pump installation costs anywhere from £3,500 to £6,000, excluding materials and the heating system. Exactly how much you will spend depends on the kind of air source heat pump you will be installing, the complexity of the installation, the size of your home, and the labour costs of the installer you work with.

Typically, an air source heat pump installation takes between 2 to 5 days to complete. Sometimes this can be shorter but often extra time is needed to finish the wiring and system commissioning. Ductwork can cost roughly £10 to £30 per foot (per 0.35 metres).

The more complex the installation, the more time the installer will have to spend working on your home, resulting in you having to spend more on labour costs. Factors that complicate air source heat pump installation include the size of the property, how old the infrastructure is, accessibility, and whether it needs more complex pipework, underfloor heating, an air to water unit, or other add-ons.

While the cost of air source heat pump installations can be high, in time, your investment will pay off. On average, heat pump running costs can be 3 to 4 times lower than the average gas boiler. Below you can find an overview of the savings you can expect after having installed an air source heat pump for your home, according to the Energy Savings Trust:

Tha figure above compares an air source heat pump with a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 3.5, which can be 4 times as efficient as a G-rated gas boiler.

These costs are estimates. Get a local installer QUOTE now!

As you can see, savings with an air source heat pump will vary significantly depending on the energy system you’re replacing. Considering that gas boilers are the most popular heating source in the UK today, the average break-even point for replacing a gas boiler with an air to air heat pump is about 17 years.

Unlike gas boilers, heat pumps gather 75% of their heat from renewables and use only 25% electricity. Heat pumps also meet your household heat demand with a lower carbon footprint cost, allowing for up to 2900kg of carbon compared to an A-rated gas boiler.

To maximize your savings, avoid overspending on your new air source heat pump. The surest way to keep your air source heat pump cost as low as possible is to compare multiple prices listed by different suppliers and installers.

Several factors influence how much heat pumps in the UK cost. These include:

Keeping these factors in mind when trying to determine how much an air source heat pump will cost you can help you avoid any surprises when it comes to your total expenses. So, when making your calculations, be sure to account for all these aspects of installing an air source heat pump for your home.

If you are looking to lower your yearly electricity bills and your carbon footprint, then an air source heat pump can be a great addition to your home. Because they generate energy using the air outside and transferring heat into your home, they require less fuel to operate than traditional heating systems. This has a positive impact on your bank account, as well as on the environment. Heat pumps for apartments are also available, which offer better versatility.

However, while it comes with these impressive advantages, you should carefully consider if an air source heat pump is the right fit for your home. You should consider questions like: "Are heat pumps noisy?" and "How does a heat pump work in winter?" before making your investment.

The cost to install a heat pump is quite high and the return on investment period is quite long. That said, if you are planning on making a long-term change to your energy system, an air source heat pump will pay off over time.

When determining how much heat pumps benefit your home, you should consider whether the efficiency trumps the level of gas prices you pay with a boiler. The quality of insulation and extreme temperatures can impact this. These factors need to be compared to the final air source heat pump price which can be between £2,400 to £8,800 for an air to air model and £8,750 to £14,050 for an air to water model. Another factor to consider is whether you can obtain a grant in your region.