Heat pump installers: how to find and check one in England and Scotland

How do I find a heat pump installer near me?

Use the MCS Find an Installer tool. Choose a technology, such as an air source heat pump, enter your postcode or region, and it lists certified installers near you. You can filter for installers registered for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, or search a company's name or certification number to check a quote (MCS Find an Installer ).

GOV.UK recommends quotes from more than one installer (GOV.UK ), and Home Energy Scotland suggests at least three (Home Energy Scotland ). Three surveys of the same house also tell you something: if one installer sizes the heat pump or the radiators very differently from the other two, ask why.

Search results, maps and trade directories list heat pump installers too. A listing or a star rating does not tell you whether the business is MCS certified for the heat pump you want. The MCS tool does, so check there even if you found the installer somewhere else.

What qualifications does a heat pump installer need?

For any government grant, a heat pump installer must be MCS certified, which GOV.UK says means they are technically competent and their products meet the right standards. MCS installers must also belong to a consumer code such as RECC (the Renewable Energy Consumer Code) or HIES, so you have somewhere to turn (GOV.UK ).

• MCS certification for heat pumps, checked on the MCS site, not taken from a logo on a van or a website.
• Membership of RECC or HIES.
• Membership of a Competent Person Scheme, so the installer can self-certify that the work meets building regulations and you do not need separate approval (GOV.UK ).
• A certified heat pump. MCS installers use MCS certified products, and Home Energy Scotland funding needs an MCS or Solar Keymark certified product (Home Energy Scotland ).

MCS suggests checking an installer's certification three times: when you get the quote, before you sign the contract, and before the installation starts (MCS ).

How much does heat pump installation cost in the UK?

Heat pump installation in the UK had a median cost of £12,908 for an air source heat pump fitted under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme between April and June 2026, and £27,232 for a ground source heat pump. Both figures are before the grant comes off (DESNZ, August 2026 statistics ).

MCS puts the average air source heat pump at around £13,300 in 2025, from its own data (MCS ).

The £9,000 rate is for homes off the gas grid replacing oil or LPG heating, for applications made by 31 March 2027 (GOV.UK ). Heat pumps and their installation also carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 (Ofgem ).

MCS says a quote should give a full breakdown of what you are buying. When you compare quotes, line up the same items: the heat pump, any new radiators, the hot water tank, and any electrical work. Our Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide covers who qualifies for the grant, and the air source heat pump grant page compares the grant routes for air source heat pumps.

What should I ask a heat pump installer before I sign?

Ask a heat pump installer these questions at the survey, before you sign anything, and get the answers written on the quote. A good installer answers them without being pushed, and the answers make quotes easier to compare. Most of the questions come from the GOV.UK guide to finding an installer (GOV.UK ).

• How long will the installation take, and how long will I be without heating or hot water?
• Do I need to upgrade my electricity supply, and what would that cost? GOV.UK says most heat pumps can be fitted without a change.
• What could I change to cut my bills or allow a smaller heat pump, such as insulation, new radiators or a new hot water tank?
• Will you do the whole job, or will other tradespeople do part of it? MCS says the installer should tell you about any subcontractors (MCS ).
• Can you self-certify the work under building regulations?
• How often does the heat pump need servicing? Regular servicing is often a condition of the guarantee.

Planning permission is worth one more question. MCS says changes to permitted development rights from 20 September 2025 eased the planning rules for air source heat pumps in England (MCS ), but check with the installer or your council's planning team, and tell your home insurer before work starts (GOV.UK ).

How long does heat pump installation take?

Heat pump installation usually takes a team of two people a couple of days, according to GOV.UK, though some jobs take longer (GOV.UK ). New radiators or a hot water tank can add time. The weeks before install day depend on the survey, the quote and the funding route.

Under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme the installer applies for the voucher for you, so the survey, quote and application can run together. In Scotland you apply to Home Energy Scotland yourself, and funding is only reserved once it has issued a written offer, so agree a start date after that (Home Energy Scotland ).

What should I get when the job is finished?

After a heat pump is installed, MCS says you should get an MCS certificate within 10 working days of completion. The certificate shows the job was registered with MCS, and Home Energy Scotland needs it before it pays a claim. You should also get a handover pack that includes (MCS ):

• A list of the system's key parts
• Health and safety guidance
• The recommended servicing and maintenance schedule
• The manufacturer's instruction manuals
• All guarantees and warranties

You also get a copy of the MCS Customer Commitment, which sets out what certified installers owe you. Keep it with the certificate and the handover pack.

When should I walk away from a heat pump installer?

Walk away from a heat pump installer, or at least slow down and get another quote, if you see any of these. Each one comes from the GOV.UK, MCS or Home Energy Scotland advice earlier on this page, and any one of them is reason enough to pause.

• Pressure to sign, or a cheaper price only if you sign today. GOV.UK says installers should never do this.
• No MCS number, or a number that does not match the company name on the MCS site.
• A quote with no breakdown of what you are buying.
• No answer on who will do the work, or whether subcontractors are involved.
• In Scotland, a start date before Home Energy Scotland has sent your written offer, if you are relying on its grant or loan.

Which grant can a heat pump installer use?

The grant a heat pump installer can use depends on where you live and your income. Four routes cover England and Scotland: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Home Energy Scotland, ECO4 and the Warm Homes: Local Grant. The first two have no income test. ECO4 and the Local Grant are for lower-income homes.

Sources: GOV.UK BUS , Find a Grant , Home Energy Scotland , Ofgem ECO for households and GOV.UK Local Grant .

A simple rule: on benefits or a low income, ask about ECO4 before it closes on 31 December 2026, or the Warm Homes: Local Grant in England, because either can be free. Not on a low income in England? The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is the route, and your installer applies. In Scotland, contact Home Energy Scotland first.

Who installs heat pumps in Scotland?

Heat pumps in Scotland are installed by the same MCS certified installers, but the Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not apply there. Home Energy Scotland offers a grant of up to £7,500, an optional interest-free loan of up to £7,500, and an extra £1,500 for eligible rural and island homes (Home Energy Scotland ).

Its funding needs an MCS installer and an MCS or Solar Keymark certified product, and the money is reserved only once it issues a written offer.

Call Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282 before you agree a start date. Our heat pump grant Scotland guide covers the process in full. We install in Scotland as well as England, and ECO4 applies in both until 31 December 2026.

Who runs this site

ApplyFreeBoiler.uk is run by Reliant Energy Solutions Ltd, a heating and insulation installer working in England and Scotland since 2021. We install heat pumps, and we are paid by the energy supplier for each installation we complete under ECO4. We do not work in Wales or Northern Ireland.

If you ask us about a heat pump, we may quote for it, so read this page as written by an installer, not a neutral guide. That is why every check on it links to GOV.UK, MCS or Home Energy Scotland rather than to us.

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