Ground source heat pumps — quieter, steadier heat from the ground

What is different from air source

An air source unit sits outside and pulls heat from the air. A ground source system pulls heat through buried pipework — either a horizontal trench loop across the garden, or a vertical borehole where space is tight but drilling is possible. There is no large outdoor fan cabinet, so the system is typically quieter at the boundary and more stable in deep winter, because ground temperature swings less than outdoor air.

The trade-off is upfront complexity. Trenching or drilling, manifold work and longer groundworks mean a GSHP install usually costs more than a comparable air source job before the grant. That is why the survey has to confirm the plot can take a loop — not every garden can.

Garden, trench or borehole

• Horizontal loops need a decent run of diggable garden — often the cleaner option where space allows
• Vertical boreholes suit smaller gardens if geology and access allow drilling plant on site
• Mid-terraces and most park-home plots rarely have the land for a ground loop — those homes are usually better served by air source
• Detached houses, rural plots and larger gardens are the realistic GSHP candidates we survey

We will not push a ground source design onto a plot that cannot take the loop. If air source is the honest answer, we say so on the survey.

Grant — same BUS rates as air source

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers ground source heat pumps as well as air source. The standard rate is £7,500. £9,000 (up from £7,500) for homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas connection, until 31 March 2027. The grant is claimed by us as the MCS installer and deducted from your quote — you do not handle the Ofgem payment yourself.

Because groundworks cost more, a GSHP job is less often a clean £0 customer contribution than a small air source swap. We itemise loop, drilling, emitters and electrics so you can see exactly what sits above the grant.

Full grant rules: Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide.