The short version
- Compare the design first: each quote should come from a heat loss calculation for your home and name the heat pump model and its size in kW.
- Check the efficiency figure is quoted at the design flow temperature each installer has chosen for your house. A SCOP at 35°C cannot be compared with one at 55°C.
- MCS says your quote should give “a full breakdown of what you’re purchasing”. Look for radiators, pipework, hot water, controls, electrical work and the outdoor unit position.
- You may be eligible for the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant. The installer applies, and GOV.UK says the grant is taken off what you pay and shown on your quotation and invoice.
- Installed heat pumps in homes are zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027.
- Walk away from pressure selling, a vague “all-in” price, or a grant described as certain.
MCS recommends contacting at least three installers for quotes. The difficulty is that heat pump quotes rarely look alike: one is a single page with a total, another is a full design pack. This checklist pulls the same facts out of each. If you have not had a survey yet, start with what to expect from a heat pump survey.
How do you compare heat pump quotes?
Put the quotes side by side and fill in the same rows for each one. A simple table like this works well:
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Heat loss | A calculation for your home, not a guess from floor area or the old boiler size |
| Heat pump | Make, model number and output in kW |
| Flow temperature and SCOP | The design flow temperature, and the SCOP at that temperature |
| Performance estimate | An estimate of how the system is likely to perform, given before you sign |
| Scope of work | Radiators, pipework, hot water, controls, electrical work, outdoor unit position |
| Grant and VAT | The £7,500 grant shown as a deduction; VAT shown clearly |
| Payment | Deposit amount, payment stages, how the deposit is protected |
| Warranties and paperwork | Who backs each warranty; the handover pack and MCS certificate |
A quote that leaves several rows blank is not necessarily cheaper; it may just describe less of the job.
What a good heat pump quote should itemise
The MCS Customer Commitment, part of the redeveloped MCS scheme that installers are moving onto through 2026 and into 2027, says the installer will provide “a clear and detailed written quotation” and tell you about “any additional work needed and what the cost for this is, at the quotation stage”. In practice, a quote you can compare should cover:
- Heat loss calculation and design output. The MCS design standard (MIS 3005-D) requires a heat load calculation and says the heat pump must provide at least 100% of that load without help from a supplementary electric heater. Before installation starts, you should be given in writing the heat loss of each room, the radiators or other emitters to be used and the design flow temperature. Our guide to what size heat pump you need explains how that works.
- The heat pump itself. The Customer Commitment says the contract must state the make, model number and power rating. MIS 3005-D says you should get the manufacturer’s datasheet before the contract is awarded.
- Hot water. Ask each installer to spell out how your hot water will be provided. Where a new cylinder is part of the design, MIS 3005-D says you should receive its datasheet and its specification, including its recovery rate. See heat pumps and hot water.
- Radiators and pipework. Which radiators are being changed, which are staying, and whether any pipework is being replaced. Read do I need new radiators for a heat pump? for why this varies so much between homes.
- Controls. The thermostat or controller, and any changes to radiator valves.
- Electrical work. Any work at the consumer unit or supply, and who will notify the electricity network operator if that is needed.
- Outdoor unit position and noise. Where the unit will go, how far the pipe run is, and whether a sound assessment has been done. In England, an outdoor unit installed under permitted development must meet the MCS 020(a) sound calculation; Wales has its own rules. See our guide to heat pump planning permission.
- Commissioning and handover. Commissioning the system and handing over the paperwork, including the MCS certificate.
- Warranties. What each warranty covers, how long it lasts and who stands behind it (see below).
Comparing size and efficiency fairly
A bigger heat pump is not automatically better. The right size comes from the heat loss calculation, so if two quotes propose very different outputs for the same house, ask each installer to show you the heat loss figure behind their choice.
Efficiency is where like-for-like comparison matters most. A heat pump’s SCOP changes with the temperature of the water it sends to the radiators: the lower the flow temperature, the higher the figure. MIS 3005-D says you should be given “the installation’s SCoP/SPER (as taken from the MCS website) based on the above design flow temperature”. So check which flow temperature each quote is designed for before comparing SCOP figures. Our guide to heat pump COP and SCOP explains the numbers, and heat pump flow temperature explains why it matters.
You should also be given a performance estimate before you commit. MIS 3005-D says the result of the performance estimate must be “communicated in writing to the customer before the point that the contract is awarded”, and the Customer Commitment says installers must provide realistic estimates of how your system is likely to perform before you enter a contract. The Customer Commitment also says you should not sign a contract based on specific energy prices, because tariffs vary and can change.
How the grant and VAT should appear
The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant
You may be eligible for £7,500 towards an air source heat pump under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales. GOV.UK says you must own the property and be replacing fossil fuel heating such as oil, gas, electric or LPG, and that hybrid systems (for example a gas boiler plus a heat pump) are not eligible. Your installer applies on your behalf. GOV.UK puts it plainly: the grant “will be taken off the amount you pay for installation. This will be shown on your quotation and invoice.”
So on each quote, look for the full price, the £7,500 deduction as a separate line, and the amount you will pay. That makes quotes easy to compare. Ofgem will contact you to confirm that the installer is acting on your behalf, so expect that step. Once Ofgem issues a voucher for an air source heat pump, it is valid for three months from the date it is issued, so ask each installer how their timetable fits within that window. For the details, see the Boiler Upgrade Scheme explained and our grants page.
VAT
HMRC Notice 708/6 says a zero rate applies to installing energy-saving materials, which include air source heat pumps, in homes until 31 March 2027, reverting to 5% from 1 April 2027. HMRC gives the example of a heating system with a heat pump, radiators, pipe, valves and controls installed together as a single zero-rated supply. Check each quote says clearly whether VAT is included and at what rate. If your installation is likely to fall close to 31 March 2027, ask how VAT will be handled.
Deposits, payment terms and consumer protection
The Customer Commitment says that if a deposit is taken, it should be “reasonable, justified and part of an agreed payment schedule”, and the installer must tell you how your deposit is protected. It also says the installer must explain your cancellation rights, including when you are entitled to have your deposit returned.
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, if you agree a contract away from the installer’s business premises (at home, for example) or at a distance (online or by phone), you can normally cancel within a cancellation period of 14 days without giving a reason. The period begins when you enter into the contract, but when it ends depends on the type of contract: for a contract that includes supplying goods, such as the heat pump itself, it normally runs to 14 days after the goods are delivered to you. Ask the installer to confirm the dates in writing. If you ask for work to start within the cancellation period and then cancel, you may have to pay for the work done up to that point.
How you pay can add protection too. Citizens Advice says that if you paid any part of the cost by credit card, you can use Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, as long as the total cost of the item is more than £100 and no more than £30,000. It also says you usually cannot use Section 75 if you did not buy directly from the trader.
On warranties, separate three things: the manufacturer’s product warranty, the installer’s workmanship cover, and any protection that still applies if the installer stops trading. Under MCS’s redeveloped scheme, installers must give you a written guarantee for the system’s design and the workmanship, plus an MCS approved financial protection. MCS says installers are moving to that scheme in phases through 2026 and into 2027. Some installers belong to a consumer code such as RECC, which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and covers quotations, deposits, contracts and after-sales service. Ask each installer which applies to them, and get it in writing.
Red flags in a heat pump quote
- No heat loss survey. A quote sized from the old boiler or a quick look at the outside of the house cannot meet the MCS design standard.
- Pressure selling. The Customer Commitment says installers must not pressure you to sign orders or contracts. Deadlines like “this price is only valid today” are a reason to slow down.
- A vague “all-in” price. One figure with no model number, no kW output and no list of work makes comparison impossible and leaves room for extras later. MCS also says installers must not use a headline price in marketing that misleads you about the likely cost.
- The grant described as certain. Eligibility depends on you and your property, and Ofgem checks each application. A quote should show the grant as a deduction, not promise it.
- No mention of MCS. To use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme you need an MCS certified installer. MCS suggests checking an installer’s status on its Find an Installer search when you get a quote, before you sign and before the work starts. See what is MCS certification?
- Silence on changes. If the design changes after the contract, the Customer Commitment says you should get a written variation and, where the change is significant, the choice to cancel without further cost and receive a refund of any deposit.
Questions to ask, and where ByEco stands
Ask every installer the same questions, in writing if you can:
- What is the calculated heat loss of my home, and can I see it room by room?
- Which heat pump model, what size in kW, and why that size?
- What design flow temperature have you chosen, and what is the SCOP at that temperature?
- How will my hot water be provided?
- Which radiators and pipes are changing, and is any electrical work included?
- Where will the outdoor unit go, and has the sound calculation been done?
- How is the £7,500 grant shown on the quote, and what happens if it is not approved?
- How much is the deposit, how is it protected, and what are the payment stages?
- Who backs each warranty, and what is in the handover pack?
For what happens once you have chosen, see heat pump installation: what to expect.
ByEco is MCS certified for air source heat pump installation (certificate IAA10330), and we apply for the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant on your behalf. We install for homeowners in England and Wales. The cost depends on your property: the size of system it needs, whether radiators or pipework need upgrading, where the outdoor unit goes and how far the pipe run is, hot water and any electrical work. So we do not publish a typical price; see what affects heat pump cost instead. Please get in touch for a free survey and an itemised quote you can set against the others, and go ahead only if you are happy.
Sources
Every figure on this page was checked against primary sources on 29 October 2026. Grant rules, planning rules and prices change — if you are reading this much later, verify before acting.
- GOV.UK — Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme: how to apply
- GOV.UK — Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme: what you can get
- GOV.UK — Apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme: check if you’re eligible
- legislation.gov.uk — Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales) Regulations 2022, regulation 15
- HMRC — VAT on energy-saving materials and heating equipment (VAT Notice 708/6)
- MCS — Customer Commitment, Issue 1.1 (September 2026)
- MCS — Installer Operating Requirements, MCS:2025 2.0, Issue 2.0
- MCS — Transitioning to the redeveloped Scheme
- MCS — MIS 3005-D Heat Pump Design Standard, Issue 3.0
- MCS — Air source heat pumps (consumer guide)
- MCS — Boiler Upgrade Scheme (consumer guide)
- legislation.gov.uk — The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2025, S.I. 2025/560
- legislation.gov.uk — Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, regulation 29
- legislation.gov.uk — Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30
- Citizens Advice — Getting your money back if you paid by card or PayPal
- Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC) — home page
Book your free home survey
Every home is different. The cost depends on the size of system, any radiators that need upgrading, the pipework and where the outdoor unit goes. Get in touch and we will arrange a free survey of your home and give you a clear quote. If you are happy with it, we can go ahead.
