Guides
Heat pump guides for West Midlands homes
These pages are for homeowners who want straight numbers before they book a survey — what an air source heat pump actually costs in this region, how the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is applied, and what a fixed quote should include. They are written from MCS heat-loss surveys we carry out across Birmingham and the West Midlands, not from national averages.
A guide will not replace a room-by-room calculation. It will tell you the likely range, which grant applies, and which extras (radiators, cylinder, electrical work) push a quote up. If you already know you want a survey, book one on the contact page.
What these guides cover
Each article answers one practical question in full, with local figures where we have them. We keep BUS (the heat-pump grant) separate from ECO4 and GBIS (insulation schemes). Mixing those up is how a lot of national content goes wrong, and it is not how we quote.
The cost guide is live now. Further articles are planned for servicing and maintenance, ground source heat pumps, and a clear comparison of BUS against ECO4 and GBIS — three different schemes with different eligibility, not three names for the same grant.
Air source heat pump cost
Typical installed prices in the West Midlands run from about £7,000 to £18,000 before grant, depending on property size and extra works. After the Boiler Upgrade Scheme — £7,500 as standard, temporarily £9,000 for eligible oil and LPG homes — many mid-terraces and park homes pay a fraction of that, or nothing. The guide breaks that down by property type, lists the extras that add cost (radiators, insulation, consumer units), and walks through illustrative quotes from surveys in Birmingham, Solihull and around Wolverhampton.
It also covers annual running costs against gas, and a rough payback on the net outlay after the grant. Read it if you want the numbers before you pick up the phone: how much an air source heat pump costs in the West Midlands.
Guides still to come
Servicing and maintenance — what a heat pump needs each year, what is covered under MCS, and what is ordinary upkeep. Heat pumps are not boilers; the servicing interval and the checks are different.
Ground source heat pumps — when a ground loop is realistic on a West Midlands plot, how the cost compares with air source, and how BUS applies to those jobs. Most of our work is air source; ground source is a different design and a different bill.
BUS vs ECO4 and GBIS — the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a heat-pump (and biomass) grant claimed by an MCS installer. ECO4 and GBIS are separate insulation schemes with their own eligibility. Insulation we fit outside those schemes is paid for by the customer. That comparison page will spell out which scheme does what, so you are not sold a grant that does not exist for the job you want.
How to use a guide, then a survey
Use the articles to decide whether a heat pump is even in range for your house and your budget. Then get a heat-loss survey if the numbers still make sense. The survey sizes the unit, counts radiator changes, confirms Boiler Upgrade Scheme eligibility, and produces a fixed quote with the grant already deducted. That is the figure you actually pay — not the headline installed price in a national round-up.
If you already know you want an air source system rather than a cost breakdown, the air source heat pumps page covers how an install works. The guides sit alongside those service pages; they are not a substitute for a quote on your postcode.
All guides
Want numbers for your house?
A free survey is the only way to size the unit and confirm the grant. We’ll tell you if it isn’t the right job.