How much does an air to air heat pump cost?

There is no official national fitted-price range. Ask for an itemised quote covering the model, room coverage, pipework, electrics, access work, commissioning and exclusions for your property. A £2,500 grant may apply to an eligible installation.

Are air to air heat pumps expensive to run?

It depends on the product, property heat loss, controls, tariff, region and usage. The Ofgem price cap is not a personalised running-cost or savings estimate.

What SCOP do air to air heat pumps achieve?

Ask for the selected model's published seasonal performance. It should be assessed with the property's design, controls, tariff and intended use rather than used as a generic savings estimate.

Why is my air source heat pump expensive to run?

Most commonly incorrect sizing, dirty filters, a standard variable electricity tariff, poor insulation, or operating it in short bursts rather than steadily at a lower output.

Is an air to air heat pump cheaper than a gas boiler?

It depends on the actual products, property design, heat loss, controls, tariff and usage. Compare an itemised quote and model-specific performance information rather than relying on a generic saving claim.

How long do air to air heat pumps last?

Typically 12 to 15 years with annual servicing.

Costs · Running costs

Air to air heat pump costs: install, run and grant

Last updated 26 August 20268 min read

In short

Installed cost depends on the system design, property, room coverage, pipework, electrical work, access and local constraints. Request an itemised quote for your property.

Running cost depends on the selected product, property heat loss, controls, tariff, region and usage. It should not be inferred from a generic national comparison.

Check whether the £2,500 grant applies to your home.

Check eligibility

Purchase and installation cost

System	Rooms	Quote scope to confirm
Single split	1	Model, refrigerant work, drainage and electrics
Multi-split	Multiple	Room coverage, capacity and pipework routing
Whole-home design	All required rooms	Heating design, hot-water provision and access work

CoolGrant does not publish a national fitted-price range because it cannot establish the cost of a specific installation.

A proper quote should identify the indoor and outdoor units, refrigerant pipework, condensate drainage, electrical connection, commissioning, warranty and compliance arrangements.

Confirm whether the quote includes a dedicated electrical circuit and isolator, making good and redecoration, pipework routing, scaffolding or other access equipment.

Our full UK air conditioning cost breakdown covers this room by room.

The grant, and the catch in the specification

The £2,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is available in England and Wales where an air-to-air system replaces qualifying fossil-fuel or non-heat-pump electric heating. A fossil-fuel heat-generating appliance cannot remain as part of the new heating system, and there is no hybrid option.

The heat pump must be capable of meeting the property's full space-heating demand, and the combined system must be capable of meeting its full space-heating and hot-water needs. The grant-eligible specification therefore needs a whole-property heating solution, not a single unit on its own. It changes the arithmetic in a way most cost guides miss.

Scenario	Grant
Cooling-only unit or a system that retains fossil-fuel heating	No BUS grant
Eligible residential air-to-air heating installation	£2,500, deducted by the installer

A cooling-only purchase is not grant eligible. The installer must show the £2,500 BUS discount in the quote and on the invoice where the installation qualifies.

Two things to be aware of before you budget on that basis. First, air-to-air systems are not currently covered by the zero VAT relief that applies to some other low-carbon technologies, so confirm the applicable VAT rate with your installer. Second, Ofgem's Product Eligibility List was updated on 23 July 2026 and includes air-to-air heat-pump models, but the installer must still confirm the product, property and installation meet the current rules. Check where the grant actually stands before you rely on the £2,500.

Running costs: cooling

At the Ofgem price cap for 1 July to 30 September 2026, electricity is 26.11p per kWh including VAT.

The price cap is not a personalised running-cost estimate. Actual electricity cost depends on the product, room conditions, controls, tariff, payment method, region and use.

Ask the installer for the selected model's product information and performance figures, then compare them with your own tariff and expected use.

Running costs: heating, and the honest comparison

The Ofgem price cap for 1 July to 30 September 2026 lists average Direct Debit unit rates of 26.11p per kWh for electricity and 7.33p per kWh for gas. Actual rates depend on tariff, payment method and region.

Ask for the selected product's published seasonal performance and a design for the specific property. This information alone does not predict running cost or savings.

Running cost can change with the property's heat loss, controls, room coverage, electricity tariff, gas standing charge and how the system is used.

Why some systems cost far more to run than expected

If running costs are unexpectedly high, ask the installer to review the design, selected product, controls, maintenance requirements and room coverage. Your tariff and use pattern also matter.

Servicing and lifespan

Ask the installer about the selected system's maintenance requirements, warranty conditions and filter-cleaning instructions.

Find out in 60 seconds whether the government will pay £2,500 towards your system.

Check my eligibility

Frequently asked questions

SOURCES

Ofgem: energy price cap Ofgem: Boiler Upgrade Scheme guidance Energy Saving Trust: air to air heat pumps