Quick answer
Edinburgh has Georgian and Victorian stone tenements in the city centre, often in conservation areas or the World Heritage Site, and suburban houses from Currie to Musselburgh. Tenement flats need careful siting of the outdoor unit, while suburban homes are usually straightforward. A survey determines what works at your address.
Edinburgh mixes World Heritage stone tenements, Victorian villas and modern suburban estates. Each raises different questions for a heat pump, from listed building consent to radiator sizing, and a proper survey covers them all.
Edinburgh centre is dominated by Georgian New Town and Victorian stone tenements with solid walls, high ceilings and sash windows. These buildings lose heat quickly, so a room-by-room heat loss calculation is essential, and some rooms may need larger radiators to work at lower flow temperatures. Suburban areas like Currie, Balerno, Juniper Green and Loanhead have a mix of post-war semis and modern estates with cavity walls, where insulation is generally better and a heat pump is easier to fit. Musselburgh and the coastal villages have similar post-war housing with some stone cottages.
Much of central Edinburgh falls within the Old and New Town World Heritage Site, and many buildings are listed. Permitted development rights are unlikely to apply, so a planning application may be needed for the outdoor unit. The surveyor checks whether your property is listed or in a conservation area and tells you in writing if permission is required. In the suburbs, permitted development usually applies, making the process simpler.
Most of Edinburgh is on the gas grid, but rural pockets in the Pentland Hills area, towards Penicuik and the Lammermuir foothills, 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, electrical supply and outdoor unit siting.
Homes in Portobello, Joppa, Musselburgh and North Berwick face the Firth of Forth, with cold easterly winds in winter. The outdoor unit should be sited out of the worst exposure, and the heat loss calculation should account for wind chill on east-facing walls. A sheltered position extends the life of the unit and keeps it running efficiently.
It is difficult. Most New Town properties are listed and in the World Heritage Site, so planning permission is almost certainly needed. Finding a position for the outdoor unit that is acceptable to the council and neighbours can be hard. A survey tells you quickly whether it is viable.
In conservation areas and the World Heritage Site, yes, and listed buildings always need listed building consent. In suburban areas like Currie, Balerno and Loanhead, permitted development may apply. The surveyor checks your address and tells you in writing what is required.
It can be, but solid stone walls lose heat quickly, so the heat loss calculation is critical. You may need larger radiators or internal wall insulation. The survey measures each room and tells you exactly what is needed before you commit.
SP Energy Networks covers Edinburgh and the Lothians. Your installer notifies them before the heat pump is connected. If the incoming supply needs upgrading, this is identified at survey stage.
Yes, but the outdoor unit should be sited out of the worst easterly exposure. The heat loss calculation should account for wind chill on east-facing walls. A sheltered position keeps the unit running efficiently and extends its working life.
Reviewed by the Scottish Energy Efficiency team.
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