How we research every guide

UK Heat Pump Guide exists to help homeowners make a six-figure heating decision with the same quality of evidence that an engineer or a chartered surveyor would expect. Every cost figure, grant rule and efficiency claim on this site comes from official, primary sources. This page documents that workflow so you can verify it.

Primary sources we cite

• GOV.UK — for Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant rules, eligibility criteria, scheme dates, and ministerial announcements (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, DESNZ).
• OFGEM — for BUS scheme administrator guidance, monthly grant issuance statistics, and consumer-facing protections.
• MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) — for installer counts, installation standards (MIS 3005, MCS 020 noise calculation), and approved product database.
• Energy Saving Trust (EST) — for energy consumption modelling, COP/SCOP performance ranges, and consumer advice baselines.
• Office for National Statistics (ONS) and BEIS / DESNZ subnational energy statistics — for regional housing stock, off-gas-grid penetration, and tenure data.
• Heat Pump Association (HPA) — for industry installation volume figures and engineer training pipeline data.

How cost figures are built

The cost ranges shown on this site (e.g. air source £8,000–£15,000 fully installed) are derived from a quarterly survey of public MCS-certified installer quotes, supplemented by cross-checks against EST cost guides and published case studies. We avoid headline figures from manufacturer marketing material. Where regional variation exists, we report it openly (e.g. London labour rates push installs 10–15% above the national median).

Our city pages are reviewed quarterly. Each refresh checks: MCS installer count in the postcode area (via the public MCS Installer Search), Boiler Upgrade Scheme uptake at LSOA level (OFGEM open data), and average wholesale ASHP unit price changes (HPA monthly reports).

Technical review

All technical claims — efficiency ranges, sizing rules, noise limits, hot water cylinder specifications — are reviewed by an MCS-certified engineer (see Sarah Cooper, Technical Reviewer). Any guidance that touches the Building Regulations (Part L, Part F, Part G) is cross-checked against the current Approved Document and not against secondary commentary.

What we do not do

• We do not accept payment from installers in exchange for placement or favourable copy.
• We do not provide clinical, structural, or legal advice. Heat pump installation decisions with structural or planning implications should be confirmed by a registered surveyor or planning consultant.
• We do not extrapolate beyond the data. If a sample size is small (e.g. very few installs in a postcode), we say so.
• We do not republish manufacturer-supplied COP figures as if they were field data. SCOP figures from independent UK field trials (RHPP, EST) are preferred.

Corrections

We correct errors. If you find one — a cost figure that is out of date, a grant rule that has since changed, a misattributed source — email [email protected] and we will fix it within 5 working days, with a dated correction note at the foot of the article.