Air Source Heat Pumps and Renewable Heating

Yes. Heat pumps are designed to work in far colder conditions than Scotland experiences and are used as standard across Scandinavia. The key is correct sizing and design — a properly specified system will hold your target temperature on the coldest day of the year. That's exactly what our heat loss survey establishes.

Yes. Here's why.

Most heat pump "surveys" are a sales visit. Someone looks at your house for twenty minutes, guesses at a size based on floor area, and leaves you a quote.

Ours costs from £300 plus VAT, around half a day, and produces a written report you keep. It covers a room-by-room heat loss calculation for your property, which radiators need upsizing and which don't, the right size of heat pump — which is usually smaller than a free survey would tell you — where the outdoor unit can sensibly go, your hot water requirement, and what it should cost to run.

That report is yours regardless of whether you use us. You can take it to another installer, or put it in a drawer and think about it for a year.

And if you go ahead with us, we take the survey fee off the price of the installation. So if you install, the survey costs you nothing.

An oversized heat pump costs more to buy and more to run, every winter, for twenty years. A free survey has to be paid for somewhere, and it usually gets paid for in the size of the unit.

Often, yes — and rural properties are the strongest case, because the £1,500 rural uplift takes the available grant to £9,000. We'll survey your property and give you honest figures rather than a sales pitch. If it doesn't stack up for you, we'll say so.

Usually not all of them. Heat pumps run at lower flow temperatures, so some radiators need to be larger to give out the same heat. In a typical home we find a handful need upsizing rather than the whole lot. The survey tells you precisely which, before you commit.

It depends on the size of your property, how much radiator and pipework upgrading is needed, and whether the cylinder is being replaced. We'll give you a fixed written quote after the survey, along with a performance estimate calculated to the MCS standard.

That depends on your tariff, your property, and how well the system is designed. As an MCS certified and RECC member business we're required to give you a performance estimate calculated to a set methodology rather than a best case figure — you'll get realistic numbers with the assumptions shown.

It needs a position with clear airflow, sensible pipe runs to the house, and enough distance from boundaries and neighbouring windows to meet the noise requirements. On most properties there are several workable options. Siting is one of the first things we look at on the survey, because it occasionally rules a property out and it's better to know early.

In most cases air source heat pumps in Scotland fall under permitted development, but there are conditions around siting, proximity to boundaries, and properties that are listed or in conservation areas. We'll confirm your position as part of the survey and handle any application if one is needed.

Modern units are quiet — comparable to a fridge at conversation distance. Siting matters, and there are noise limits that must be met, both of which we assess during the survey.

Sometimes, but often not. Heat pump cylinders use a larger heat exchanger coil to work at lower temperatures. A standard boiler cylinder will typically give slow, disappointing hot water recovery on a heat pump. We'll assess yours and tell you either way.

Extremely well — underfloor heating is the best possible match for a heat pump because it runs at low temperatures across a large surface area. If you're considering both, doing them together is the most efficient route.

Most domestic installations take between three and five days depending on how much radiator and pipework upgrading is involved. We'll give you a firm timescale with your quote and make sure you're not left without heating or hot water overnight.

We're members of the Renewable Energy Consumer Code, backed by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. That means a clear written contract before any work starts, your deposit protected, defined cancellation rights, and access to independent dispute resolution — not just our word for it.

Our workmanship is guaranteed for two years, and that guarantee transfers to the new owner if you sell the house. It's insurance-backed, so it stands even in the unlikely event we're no longer trading. Your heat pump itself carries the manufacturer's own warranty on top of that.

Less than most people expect. Most domestic installations take three to five days. Where other trades are involved — joiner, plasterer, groundworker — we project manage them so you're dealing with one person rather than chasing four. You won't be left without heating or hot water overnight.

Yes — annually, the same as a boiler. It keeps efficiency up, catches small problems early, and is usually a condition of the manufacturer's warranty.