Air source heat pumps have become the default low-carbon heating option for UK homes. This guide explains how they work, what they cost after the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, and what separates a considered installation from a generic one.
Heat pumps pull warmth from the outside air, even at -15°C, and concentrate it to heat your home and hot water. They are 300 to 450 per cent efficient, compared to around 94 per cent for a good modern boiler. That means for every 1 kWh of electricity they use, they deliver 3 to 4.5 kWh of heat.
A considered installation on a three-bed home in Hertfordshire typically falls between £12,000 and £18,000 before the grant, £4,500 to £10,500 after. Sharp Renewables applies the BUS grant directly to your quote, so you never touch the paperwork.
The install itself matters more than most people realise. A heat pump on a poor plinth, with visible pipework, sited against an elevation, in a property that has not been heat-loss surveyed properly, will perform worse and look worse than it should. The considered approach is what we cover on our How We Install page.