Heat pumps in the UK: 2026 grant + cost guide by town

How heat pumps work in UK homes

A heat pump takes warmth from the outside air and pumps it into your radiators or underfloor heating — even at -5°C there’s enough warmth in the air to be useful. It runs your radiators cooler than a gas boiler does, so heat pump installs usually need slightly bigger radiators (or underfloor heating) to release the same warmth into the room.

Heat pumps are efficient because they move existing warmth rather than making it. For every £1 of electricity you put in, a well-set-up heat pump gives you around £3.50 of heat out. A typical UK home costs around £600 a year to heat with a well-run heat pump on a heat-pump-friendly electricity plan — usually less than heating the same home with gas at 2026 prices.

Browse by town

Each town page below carries live EPC band data drawn from the GOV.UK EPC Register, the local BUS-eligibility context, and install cost ranges for the area. Sample size is shown next to each town. We’re expanding coverage steadily — if your town isn’t listed yet, the suitability checker below works for every UK address.

Browse by property type

Heat pump sizing, insulation needs, and grant paperwork vary by the kind of home you have. Pick the closest match to yours for a deep-dive on what an install actually involves.

Check your specific home

Town pages give the local picture; the actual answer for your home depends on three things only a pre-survey can answer: how much heat your home loses on a cold day (driven by size and insulation), whether any radiators need upsizing (most pre-2000s homes need at least one), and where the outdoor unit could go. Our free pre-survey combines your address, energy certificate, floorplan, and satellite roof imagery — takes about five minutes.

Run a free pre-survey check on your home — a quote-ready report, whether you qualify for the £7,500 grant, a heat pump size range, and a list of qualified installers covering your area.