Is a heat pump right for your home?

Yes. The UK government’s Electrification of Heat trial ran 742 real homes and found only a marginal efficiency dip on the coldest days. The coldest countries in Europe — Norway, Sweden, Finland — fit the most heat pumps per household. Units like the Mitsubishi Ecodan are rated to −25°C. We design every system for the Scottish climate.

Our air source heat pump installs typically run at over 400% efficiency — and in the right home, higher still — so for every unit of electricity in you get four or more units of heat out. Against oil, LPG and direct electric that usually means lower, steadier bills with no exposure to fuel-price spikes; against mains gas the case is finer. We won’t quote a generic savings figure — instead we assess your home and system remotely to build a realistic, tailored estimate before we ever visit.

Yes — and by more than most people expect. Gas prices have risen faster, in percentage terms, than electricity, so the “spark gap” (how much dearer a unit of electricity is than a unit of gas) has shrunk. At today’s prices a heat pump only needs to be about 3.5 times efficient — a SCOP of roughly 3.5 — to match a gas boiler on running cost, and we aim to design ours to over 4. The exact figure depends on your home and how much of the system we upgrade (a minimal-disruption install that keeps most of your existing pipework and radiators can run a little lower), so we give you a realistic, tailored number on your call rather than a generic claim. On oil, LPG or direct electric the savings are bigger again.

It depends on your home — there’s no one answer. Heat pumps run at lower flow temperatures, so some radiators may need upsizing while others are perfectly fine; it comes down to your heat loss, the rooms and the radiators you already have. Our room-by-room survey shows exactly what, if anything, needs changing, and we talk it through before any work. We keep what’s suitable and change only what genuinely needs it — unless you’d prefer a full new system, which is entirely your call.

Home Energy Scotland offers up to £7,500 towards an air source heat pump — or £9,000 in some eligible rural and island areas. It’s aimed at homes moving off fossil fuels, so if you already have a heat pump or other renewable heating you may not qualify. Eligibility and the exact amount are decided by Home Energy Scotland — you apply to them yourself on the Home Energy Scotland website. We’re MCS-certified, which the grant requires; we don’t complete or manage the application for you.

We show an indicative range, but not a fixed price — an honest figure depends on your home (what we can reuse, your heat loss, any radiator changes). On a quick call we double-check your details and eligibility and give you a more accurate, tailored estimate; the final costs are agreed at the survey. It’s almost always less than people fear.