Money desk · chart page
Air source heat pump cost in the UK, by quarter
The median air source heat pump cost in England and Wales was £12,826 installed in July–September 2026, before the £7,500 grant; no air-to-air figure exists yet.
By the Cooler Indoors desk · figures checked · 4 charts · sources · methods
What does an air source heat pump cost in the UK? The best public record is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme data for England and Wales: in July to September 2026 the median air-to-water installation cost £12,826, before the £7,500 grant comes off. Half of jobs fell between £10,717 and £15,461.
Source: DESNZ, Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics, September 2026 (Table Q1.1A) · checked 29 October 2026
How we read this Nominal prices, England and Wales, air-to-water systems only, with the grant-funded part included. Not adjusted for inflation. Values as published in the September 2026 release.
Show the numbers
| Label | Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Q2 | £10,913 | £13,182 | £15,205 | |
| 2022 Q3 | £10,976 | £12,860 | £15,000 | |
| 2022 Q4 | £10,794 | £12,969 | £15,132 | |
| 2023 Q1 | £10,880 | £13,256 | £15,800 | |
| 2023 Q2 | £11,056 | £13,400 | £15,940 | |
| 2023 Q3 | £11,190 | £13,495 | £15,995 | |
| 2023 Q4 | £11,200 | £13,600 | £16,170 | |
| 2024 Q1 | £10,731 | £13,000 | £15,778 | |
| 2024 Q2 | £10,385 | £12,800 | £15,500 | |
| 2024 Q3 | £10,313 | £12,599 | £15,300 | |
| 2024 Q4 | £10,177 | £12,500 | £15,199 | |
| 2025 Q1 | £9,835 | £12,082 | £15,000 | |
| 2025 Q2 | £10,029 | £12,500 | £15,246 | |
| 2025 Q3 | £10,863 | £13,000 | £15,580 | |
| 2025 Q4 | £11,459 | £13,437 | £16,030 | |
| 2026 Q1 | £11,348 | £13,103 | £15,789 | |
| 2026 Q2 | £11,125 | £12,900 | £15,636 | |
| 2026 Q3 | £10,717 | £12,826 | £15,461 |
How much does an air source heat pump cost in the UK?
On the official data, a typical air-to-water job costs about £12,800 before the grant. The DESNZ scheme statistics published on 29 October 2026 give a nominal median of £12,826 for the latest quarter.
These figures come from Ofgem and the MCS Installation Database, so they reflect jobs claimed through the grant. They cover England and Wales only; Scotland and Northern Ireland are not in the series.
| Quarter | Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | Median size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Q3 | £10,976 | £12,860 | £15,000 | 10 kW |
| 2023 Q3 | £11,190 | £13,495 | £15,995 | 10 kW |
| 2024 Q3 | £10,313 | £12,599 | £15,300 | 8.4 kW |
| 2025 Q3 | £10,863 | £13,000 | £15,580 | 8 kW |
| 2026 Q3 | £10,717 | £12,826 | £15,461 | 8 kW |
Have air source heat pump costs gone up or down since 2022?
In cash terms, they have barely moved. The median peaked at £13,600 at the end of 2023, dipped to £12,082 in early 2025, and has sat between £12,500 and £13,450 since. Because these are nominal pounds, the flat line means the real price has fallen with inflation; the statistics workbook has an inflation-adjusted table (Q1.1B) for anyone who wants that view.
Are installed systems getting smaller?
Yes. The median heat pump fitted under the scheme was 10 kW in 2022 and has been 8 to 8.4 kW since mid-2024. The data does not say why, so we read it only as a record of what was fitted.
Source: DESNZ, Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics, September 2026 (Table Q1.1A) · checked 29 October 2026
How we read this Median rated capacity of air-to-water heat pumps installed under BUS each quarter. A median says nothing about the spread of sizes or the homes they went into.
Show the numbers
| Label | kW | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Q2 | 10 | 10 kW |
| 2022 Q3 | 10 | |
| 2022 Q4 | 10 | |
| 2023 Q1 | 10 | |
| 2023 Q2 | 10 | |
| 2023 Q3 | 10 | |
| 2023 Q4 | 9 | |
| 2024 Q1 | 9 | |
| 2024 Q2 | 8.5 | |
| 2024 Q3 | 8.4 | |
| 2024 Q4 | 8 | |
| 2025 Q1 | 8 | |
| 2025 Q2 | 8 | |
| 2025 Q3 | 8 | |
| 2025 Q4 | 8.4 | |
| 2026 Q1 | 8.1 | |
| 2026 Q2 | 8 | |
| 2026 Q3 | 8 | 8 kW |
What does the grant take off the price?
The scheme pays £7,500 towards an air-to-water system, or £9,000 in an oil or LPG home with no mains gas until 31 March 2027. Taken off the latest median, that leaves roughly £5,300, or £3,800 in an off-gas home. Northern Ireland has nothing equivalent: its domestic Renewable Heat Incentive has closed and BUS does not apply there.
Source: DESNZ BUS statistics (median) with grant amounts from GOV.UK · checked 29 October 2026
How we read this Worked example, not a quote. Inputs: 2026 Q3 median £12,826 minus the grant. Your own quote can sit well above or below the median.
Show the numbers
| Label | £ | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Median installed cost | £12,826 | |
| After £7,500 grant | £5,326 | |
| After £9,000 off-gas grant | £3,826 |
Installed heat pumps also carry 0% VAT until 31 March 2027, which our VAT breakdown covers. North of the border, the Scottish scheme offers up to £7,500 in grant with an optional interest-free loan of the same size.
Is there a cost figure for air-to-air heat pumps?
No. Every air-to-air cell in the BUS cost table is marked "[x]", meaning no data, because not one air-to-air voucher had been redeemed when the September 2026 figures were compiled. We have not found any other primary source for air-to-air installed prices, so we do not publish one.
The air-to-water figures are not a stand-in. They include a hot water cylinder and pipework to radiators, which an air-to-air system does not have. For the £2,500 air-to-air grant and why it is not yet claimable, read the BUS rules for reversible splits.
How does a ground source heat pump compare on cost?
It costs far more. The same release gives a 2026 Q3 median of £34,630 for ground source, against £12,826 for air-to-water, though both get the same £7,500 grant.
Source: DESNZ, Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics, September 2026 · checked 29 October 2026
How we read this Nominal medians for July to September 2026, England and Wales, grant-funded part included. Ground source includes water source and shared ground loops under BUS rules.
Show the numbers
| Label | £ | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Air-to-water | £12,826 | |
| Ground source | £34,630 |
Who has to do which part of the job?
Each trade has its own rules. The heat pump installer must be MCS certified for the grant, new circuits or consumer-unit work go to a registered electrician working to BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, and refrigerant connections on any split system need an F-gas certified engineer.
Disconnecting and removing an old gas boiler is work for a Gas Safe registered engineer only. Should you smell gas, or should a carbon monoxide alarm sound, take everyone outside first; touch no light switches, phones or other electrics indoors; and once outside phone 0800 111 999, the National Gas Emergency Service, or 999 if somebody is ill. HSE's carbon monoxide page has more.
Questions this data raises
Does the median cost include the grant?
Yes. The BUS figure is the full installed price, including the part the grant pays, so subtract £7,500 to estimate what a household pays.
Why might my quote be higher than £12,826?
Half of all jobs cost more than the median; a quarter cost more than £15,461 in the latest quarter. The statistics do not break costs down by house type, so ask the installer to itemise the quote.
Are the costs adjusted for inflation?
The chart uses nominal pounds as reported. DESNZ publishes an inflation-adjusted version in a separate table of the same workbook.
Will air-to-air costs appear in the statistics?
Only once vouchers start being redeemed. Until then the air-to-air columns stay empty, so treat any installed price you see elsewhere with care.
Sources for this page
- DESNZ, Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics, September 2026 (Table Q1.1A) gov.uk
- statistics workbook assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
- domestic Renewable Heat Incentive nidirect.gov.uk
- DESNZ BUS statistics (median) with grant amounts from GOV.UK gov.uk
- the Scottish scheme homeenergyscotland.org
- MCS certified mcscertified.com
- HSE's carbon monoxide page hse.gov.uk
All checked 29 October 2026. How we choose and read sources: Methods & sources.