From £500? How to read heat pump adverts before getting a quote

What to know first

This summary explains what headline price, savings and grant claims can—and cannot—tell you before a property survey.

A heat pump advert can be accurate for a defined group without describing what most readers will pay or save. Treat each headline as a claim about a particular scenario, then identify the grant, property, tariff and installation assumptions behind it.

Recent Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rulings cover a £500 installation price, a £546 first-year saving and grant messages that did not make eligibility prominent enough. They concern specific adverts at specific dates; they are not findings that every low price or savings estimate is misleading.

What the recent ASA rulings tell consumers

The cases raise three questions: can enough customers achieve the headline, are the assumptions clear, and is important information visible before someone moves towards a quote?

Good to know

An upheld ruling does not prove that no customer could obtain the advertised outcome. It means the claim, evidence or qualifications did not meet the required standard in the form assessed.

The Committee of Advertising Practice summarised the pricing principle in April 2026:

What does a “from £500” price really mean?

“From” identifies the lowest qualifying price. It does not show the median, most common price or likelihood that your property will receive it. Competition and Markets Authority guidance says an indicative price should realistically reflect what a significant proportion of the relevant audience can expect, with important qualifications close to the figure.

For context, Energy Saving Trust gave around £12,000 as a typical air source heat-pump installation cost on 16 July 2026, while stressing that the pump, property and radiator work change the total. That is not a fixed market price or proof that a lower offer is impossible.

Ask for the price before grant, the grant deducted and the balance. Check whether “standard installation” includes the pump, cylinder, radiators, pipework, electrics, controls, labour and commissioning. Ask separately about planning, unusual access, structural work and site preparation.

Expert insight

“Complete the headline: “This price applies to these homes, after this grant, for this installation, with these exclusions.” Each missing part is a question.”

Giles Crosse

Energy Editor

Experienced editor, journalist and communications consultant specialising in consumer energy and low carbon technologies.

• Editor and campaign author for Shell, EDF Energy and Good Energy.
• Consultant to the United Nations and contributor to the World Economic Forum.
• Journalist for Reuters, the BBC, The Economist and The Guardian.

More about Giles Crosse

How should I test a heat-pump savings claim?

Treat a savings figure as a comparison, not a promise. Check:

• the existing heating system and assumed efficiency;

• household heating and hot-water use;

• old and new tariffs;

• whether a gas standing charge remains;

• the heat pump’s seasonal performance;

• assumed insulation, radiator and control changes; and

• the period covered by the figure.

Seasonal Coefficient of Performance, or SCOP, estimates efficiency across a heating season. A property design may instead show a Seasonal Performance Factor. Energy Saving Trust says installers should calculate expected seasonal performance because location, radiator size and system design affect it.

Running costs are not automatically lower. They depend on the system being replaced, radiator sizing, controls and electricity tariff. Energy Saving Trust says a heat pump can cost slightly more than a new gas or oil boiler on standard tariffs, while a suitable time-of-use tariff can change the comparison.

“Terms apply” is not a substitute for a clear qualification. In the British Gas ruling, the ASA said the modelled basis and assumptions were material information even though a linked page contained a footnote.

Read the grant claim separately from the installation price

As checked on 20 August 2026, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) applies in England and Wales.

The £9,000 uplift covers qualifying applications properly made from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. “Properly made” means Ofgem has the required information and the owner has completed consent and identity verification—not merely that an installer has started an application.

Air-to-water systems supply radiators or underfloor heating and usually hot water. Air-to-air systems distribute warm air and are a different product, so the advert should identify which type supports its claim.

The grant is applied upfront through the installer. Ofgem says the quote must show the total before discount, the grant and the balance; the property owner does not receive the advertised amount as cash.

Good to know

The 2025 ASA rulings described a valid Energy Performance Certificate as a BUS condition at that time. For applications properly made from 28 April 2026, Ofgem says an installer may provide alternative evidence where no valid certificate exists.

Scotland has separate Home Energy Scotland support, including up to £7,500 grant funding for an eligible whole-home heat pump, an optional interest-free loan and a rural uplift. BUS does not cover Northern Ireland; NI Energy Advice provides free, impartial information on support.

What should I check before requesting or accepting a quote?

Before giving personal details, ask:

1. Is the headline for air-to-water or air-to-air equipment?

2. Is the price before or after a grant?

3. Which eligibility and property assumptions apply?

4. What work is included, excluded or still unknown?

5. How was any bill saving calculated?

6. What changes if the survey, grant decision or design changes the price?

For a BUS installation, the usual sequence is:

1. Choose an installer. The work must use a Microgeneration Certification Scheme-certified installer able to apply on your behalf.

2. Have the home assessed. The installer should cover heat loss, system design, radiator or cylinder needs and expected seasonal performance.

3. Read the itemised quote. It should separate the gross cost, grant and customer payment, and identify exclusions.

4. Complete the grant checks. The installer applies; Ofgem contacts the owner for consent and identity verification. Scheme consent does not replace the private contract.

5. Check the contract risk. Confirm what happens if a voucher, design or timetable changes, then compare total cost, performance, warranty and exclusions across quotes.

What if something goes wrong?

For a potentially misleading advert, keep a screenshot and note where and when it appeared. The ASA asks complainants to identify the claim or image they object to and covers most paid online advertising and company website claims.

For a contract or installation problem, complain to the trader first and retain the paperwork. Citizens Advice says an MCS or TrustMark complaint route may also be available. Property-specific issues may require an installer, independent assessor, planning authority, freeholder or consumer-protection body.

Key takeaways

• A “from” price is not a typical price or a promise.

• Separate the full installation cost from any grant.

• Ask for every assumption behind a bill-saving figure.

• Check the heat-pump type because grants and scope differ.

• Rely on the itemised quote and contract, not the advert alone.

• Recheck scheme amounts and conditions before proceeding.

Frequently asked questions