Quick answer
There is no single price for a heat pump in Scotland. The cost depends on your heat loss, how many radiators change, the cylinder, any electrical upgrades, access and what each installer includes or leaves out. A quotation built on a room-by-room heat loss calculation is the only honest way to price it.
There is no honest single price for a heat pump. The cost of an installation in Scotland depends on your home, what needs to change and what the installer chooses to include. Here are the factors that drive the figure, so you can understand any quotation you receive.
Two homes on the same street can receive very different quotations. These are the reasons why.
The heat loss calculation sets the size of the heat pump. A draughty stone cottage with single glazing needs more output than a well-insulated modern house of the same floor area, and a larger unit costs more to buy and fit.
Heat pumps run most efficiently with cooler water in the radiators. If some rooms need larger radiators to stay warm at that temperature, each change adds to the price. The emitter schedule shows exactly which ones.
Almost every heat pump needs a stored hot water cylinder. Homes moving from a combi boiler need space found for one, sometimes with new pipework, while homes with an existing cylinder may still need it replaced with one designed for a heat pump.
Some homes need an upgraded consumer unit, a new dedicated circuit or work on the incoming supply. The local network operator also has to be notified. A good quotation says whether any of this is included or excluded.
The further the outdoor unit sits from the cylinder and heating pipework, the more pipe, insulation and labour the job needs. Wall brackets, concrete bases and routes around steps or outbuildings all affect the price.
Tenements, steep gardens and narrow lanes can mean scaffolding, extra labour or restricted working hours. These costs are often left off quotes, so check whether they are included before comparing prices.
Taking out an oil boiler and tank, an LPG system or storage heaters, and making the area safe, is a real cost. It should be listed on the quotation rather than discovered on the day.
Room thermostats, weather compensation set-up, filling holes, redecorating around new radiators and lifting floorboards for pipework all take time. Some installers include making good; others exclude it entirely.
A low headline figure often means something has been left out: a smaller heat pump that struggles on the coldest days, radiators that were never checked, or exclusions that only appear once work has started. A higher quotation that includes every item can work out cheaper overall.
The fairest way to compare is line by line. Each quotation should be built on its own heat loss calculation, state the design flow temperature, list every radiator, specify the cylinder and set out its exclusions. When those lines are present, differences in price become easy to explain.
Running costs matter as much as the installation price. They depend on your heat loss, your flow temperature and your electricity tariff, so any running-cost estimate should be worked out from your own survey figures rather than a general average.
If spreading the cost would help, paying monthly with interest-free credit is explained in detail on a site in our network. Part of the Scottish Energy Efficiency network.
Prices vary because installers size systems differently, include different amounts of radiator and pipework change, and treat items like scaffolding and electrical upgrades differently. Some leave these out entirely. When each quote is built on a heat loss calculation and lists its exclusions, the price differences become easy to explain.
Not necessarily. A higher price may mean more is included, but it can also mean a larger unit than you need or premium brand choices that do not affect performance. Compare quotations line by line, starting with the heat loss calculation, to see what each price actually covers.
Scaffolding, electrical upgrades, removing the old boiler and tank, and making good after pipework are the items most often excluded. A complete quotation lists all of these, so you are not surprised by extra costs after work starts.
Zero percent VAT applies to qualifying domestic heat pump installations until 31 March 2027 under HMRC rules. The price on your quotation should already reflect this, so you should not need to adjust it.
Yes. Running costs depend on your heat loss, flow temperature and electricity tariff, so they can differ even when installation prices are similar. A proper quotation estimates running costs from your own survey figures, not general averages.
Interest-free credit up to £30,000, subject to status. We can discuss options as part of your quotation. The total installation price is always shown separately from any finance arrangement.
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