What the survey is for
The Energy Saving Trust describes the survey stage plainly: the installer assesses your property and helps you decide which heat pump suits your home and needs. They calculate your home’s heat demand and other information, tell you about changes to the home and heating system that would help the heat pump run efficiently, which will often include larger radiators, and then provide a personalised quote. Some improvements, such as insulation, the Trust says you might need to arrange yourself.
Check before booking that the firm is MCS-certified for heat pumps. Only an MCS-certified installer can apply for the grant on your behalf, and the MCS installer guide shows how to check. Then treat the visit as an exchange of information, not a sales call: you want the installer to understand the house, and you want to understand what they propose.
How to prepare
- Collect twelve months of bills for your current fuel, so the installer and you can set the heat pump’s running cost against actual spending.
- Identify candidate spots for the outdoor unit, and for the hot water cylinder. The Energy Saving Trust says a cylinder can usually fit in a cupboard at least 80cm x 80cm; the outdoor unit needs space around it for airflow. Check the noise and planning guides if the spot is close to a boundary or a neighbour’s window.
- Note your current heating: boiler age and type, radiators, pipe type, any underfloor heating, and whether you have a hot water cylinder already. Microbore pipework matters; the Trust says it can make heat pumps struggle to move water fast enough, and replacing it is often needed.
- Tell them your plans: insulation work, extensions, solar panels, a battery, an electric vehicle charger. These change the heat demand and the electrical work.
- Find your electricity meter and consumer unit, and note the tariff and meter type. The Trust says Economy 7 meters do not work well with heat pumps.
- Check your grant situation with the eligibility checker so you know whether £7,500 or £9,000 is the likely band, and whether any property restriction applies.
- Write your questions down (below) and decide who in the household needs to be there.
What to see and ask on the day
| Topic | What to ask or look for |
|---|---|
| Heat loss | Will you do a room-by-room calculation? Can I see it? What assumptions about insulation and air changes? |
| Emitters | Which radiators change? What flow temperature is the design based on? |
| Cylinder | Do I need a new one? Which size and where? What if I have no cupboard space? |
| Outdoor unit | Where and on what base? Will it meet the planning noise assessment for the neighbour’s window? |
| Electrical | Is the supply adequate? Do you handle notification to the network operator? |
| Pipework | Does any need replacing or insulating, for example microbore? |
| Grant | When will you apply? How is the £7,500 shown on the quote? What happens if the grant is refused? |
| Programme | How many days, how many people, when is the heating off, and what do you provide to keep me warm? |
The Trust says the installation typically takes around 3 days and that the heating is usually off for a couple of days, and that in winter an installer will probably lend electric heaters. Ofgem allows a retrospective application up to 120 days after commissioning but says that carries additional risk, so ask whether the grant will be applied for before work starts.
What you should receive afterwards
- A written, itemised quote with the grant shown as a deduction.
- The heat-loss calculation, the proposed flow temperature and the predicted seasonal efficiency.
- A list of radiators, pipework and cylinder work included, and what is excluded.
- Warranty terms for the product and the workmanship, and the annual service cost.
- Payment terms. RECC says not to pay more than 25% of the final contract price as a deposit, and not to sign with a company whose representative offers a discount for signing the same day.
Comparing several surveys
The Energy Saving Trust recommends quotes from at least three MCS-certified installers, and warns that the cheapest option might not be the best: one firm may propose more radiator replacements and charge more, but the result could perform better. Compare design first, then price, using the quotes checklist. When you have chosen, the installation process guide and the how-to-apply guide show what comes next.