Air source heat pumps move 3–4× more heat than they use in electricity. Designed properly, a heat pump can lower carbon emissions and may reduce running costs depending on your home, tariff and current heating system. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives eligible homes in England and Wales up to £9,000 towards one: £9,000 if you currently heat with oil or LPG, £7,500 if you're on mains gas. The higher rate runs until 31 March 2027. Eligibility is confirmed at survey and the grant is handled through the installer process.
For every unit of electricity, you get 3–4 units of heat back. Even at today's electricity prices, the running cost is roughly comparable to gas, and as the grid gets greener, that gap widens.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards an air source heat pump, rising to £9,000 if your home currently runs on oil or LPG — that higher rate is available until 31 March 2027. The scheme is claimed through the installer, not by you, so the paperwork never lands on your desk.
Modern heat pumps run down to -25°C. The Welsh climate is well within their operating window. Yours will keep running through every cold snap.
Around 40–45 dB at one metre. The modern designs (Vaillant aroTHERM, Mitsubishi Ecodan) are barely audible from inside.
Free survey first to size the system properly. The install itself is 2–3 working days for most homes: outdoor unit, indoor cylinder, system commissioning.
Six weeks end-to-end for most Cardiff homes. We handle the BUS paperwork; you stay out of it.
We measure heat loss room-by-room (MCS-method), look at every radiator, check your DHW demand, and check supply size. You get a written design + fixed quote within 5 working days.
The voucher is applied for on your behalf before any work starts, £9,000 if you currently heat with oil or LPG, £7,500 on mains gas. You don't handle the paperwork or fund-and-claim.
Outdoor unit on a slab, indoor cylinder fitted, radiators upgraded where needed, pipework re-routed where the old boiler used to live. Always done by Nigel + 1 engineer.
System filled, vented, balanced, run-in slow. Smart controller paired and walked through with you. Your install certificate and warranty registered on your behalf.
Free first-year service. Free balance-revisit at 3 months once you've lived with it through a full operating cycle. SAP modelling shared so you can see what we predicted vs what you're actually using.
Heat pumps cost more upfront. Over 10 years they're roughly level. Over 20 years they're meaningfully cheaper, and far cleaner. Here's what the math actually looks like for a typical 3-bed Cardiff semi.
| Heat pump (after BUS grant) | New gas combi | |
|---|---|---|
| Install (after grant) | £6,000 | £1,895 |
| Annual running cost (avg.) | £1,180 | £1,420 |
| Annual service | £95 | £85 |
| Heat exchanger replacement (year 8–10) | £0 | £420 |
| 10-year total (incl. install) | £18,750 | £17,945 |
| 20-year total (heat pump still running) | £31,500 | £36,800 |
Assumes the £7,500 mains-gas rate; on oil or LPG deduct a further £1,500. Based on 12,500 kWh/year typical demand, current Octopus tariffs and MCS-method SAP modelling. Your survey gives you the version specific to your house.
We were told by a national installer it'd cost £14,000 and we'd need every radiator replaced. Nigel surveyed properly, said only 3 rads needed upsizing, fitted a Vaillant aroTHERM for £7,200 net of grant. Bills are running about 15% lower than the gas system was, and the house is more comfortable. He showed us the SAP modelling and the actual numbers match.
Five most recent: postcode-level only, no addresses or names.
Whitchurch 4-bed detached. Vaillant aroTHERM 11kW, 3 rad upgrades, £7,200 net.
Penarth bungalow. Mitsubishi Ecodan 8kW, paired with existing UFH, £6,400 net.
Pontcanna Victorian terrace. Heat pump retrofit + UFH whole ground floor, £14,800 net.
Cyncoed semi. Vaillant 7kW, 200L cylinder, like-for-like rads, £6,100 net.
Cardiff Bay 2-bed apartment. Mitsubishi Ecodan 6kW, Permitted Development compliant.
Grant paperwork handled for you, and a survey that tells you honestly whether your house suits one.
Yes. Your voucher is applied for before any work starts, and the grant is deducted from your final invoice. You don't handle paperwork, you don't fund it and claim back. It's £9,000 if you currently heat with oil or LPG and £7,500 on mains gas. The scheme runs to 2028 (extended by DESNZ), but the higher oil/LPG rate ends on 31 March 2027 and slot availability tightens through the year, so apply early if you can.
Sometimes. Heat pumps run at lower flow temperatures (35–55°C versus a gas boiler's 60–75°C), so older single-panel rads in cold rooms may need upsizing to deliver enough heat. We model every radiator at survey and tell you which ones need to change: usually 3–4 in a 4-bed house, sometimes none in a well-insulated post-2002 build.
Quieter than your fridge. Modern Daikin Altherma and Mitsubishi Ecodan units run at 38–42 dB at 1m, about as loud as a quiet conversation. The unit goes outside on a slab; we measure the boundary noise at survey to confirm Permitted Development sign-off.
For most Cardiff homes upgrading from a gas boiler, yes: £150–£400 a year on running costs, plus the £7,500 grant on the install. Coming off oil or LPG the case is stronger on both counts — the running-cost gap is wider and the grant is £9,000. Worst-case (poorly insulated home with under-sized rads) is roughly cost-neutral on running but you've still de-fossilised. We'll show you the SAP modelling at survey, not just a glossy sales pitch.
3–5 working days on site for a typical 4-bed home, plus a 1-day pre-install survey. We commission and balance the system before we leave; you'll have a smart controller (Mitsubishi MELCloud or similar) walked through with you, and we register your warranty and install certificate on your behalf.
Run the 2-minute eligibility check above, or call now and Nigel will talk you through it.
