Quick answer
Dundee mixes sandstone tenements, interwar council housing and Victorian villas in Broughty Ferry and the West End. Villas with high ceilings need careful room-by-room sizing, while tenement flats raise questions about outdoor unit placement. A proper survey addresses these before any quotation is issued.
Dundee has a varied housing stock, from hillside tenements to seaside villas, and each type needs a different approach to heat pump design. A surveyor measures every room and checks the practical questions before any price is given.
Dundee has three broad housing types. The Hilltown and Lochee have sandstone tenements with solid walls and sash windows, similar to Glasgow but often in poorer repair. Interwar council housing in areas like Charleston and Kirkton has cavity walls but variable insulation. Broughty Ferry and the West End have Victorian villas with high ceilings, large rooms and sometimes original single glazing. Each type needs a room-by-room heat loss calculation rather than a one-size-fits-all estimate, and the surveyor measures each room individually.
Dundee tenements raise the same practical questions as Glasgow and Edinburgh: where the outdoor unit can go, whether the factor or neighbours need to agree, and whether a dedicated electrical circuit can reach it. Some tenements have drying areas or back courts that work well; others do not. The surveyor checks all of this and tells you honestly if a heat pump is not viable for your flat.
Victorian villas in Broughty Ferry and the West End have large rooms and high ceilings, which means higher heat loss per room. The surveyor checks loft insulation, wall construction and window quality, and the emitter schedule may recommend larger radiators in some rooms. These properties often have gardens with good space for the outdoor unit, making the installation easier than in a tenement.
Most of Dundee is on the gas grid, but rural areas towards the Sidlaw Hills and Angus glens have homes on oil or LPG. These properties are often good candidates for a heat pump, with a more favourable running cost comparison. The survey covers oil tank decommissioning and electrical supply.
It depends on where the outdoor unit can go and whether other owners need to agree. A back court or gable wall can work, but pipe runs and electrical access matter. Some tenements are suitable and some are not — a survey answers this quickly and honestly.
Yes, but villas have large rooms and high ceilings, so the heat loss calculation is critical. You may need larger radiators in some rooms. The good news is that villas usually have garden space for the outdoor unit, making installation easier.
Many Dundee suburbs are permitted development, but conservation areas in the West End and Broughty Ferry may require a planning application. The surveyor checks your address and tells you in writing what is required.
SSEN covers Dundee and the surrounding area. Your installer notifies them before the heat pump is connected. If the incoming supply needs upgrading, this is identified at survey stage.
Yes, homes on oil or LPG around the Sidlaw Hills are often good candidates. The survey covers oil tank decommissioning, electrical supply and outdoor unit siting, and the running cost comparison is usually more favourable than against mains gas.
Reviewed by the Scottish Energy Efficiency team.
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