Heat pump quote checklist: 20 questions to ask before you sign

What to know first

This summary covers the evidence, price details and protections to check before accepting a heat pump quote.

A heat pump quote should show how the installer matched a system to the property, what work is included and what happens if the detailed design changes.

This checklist mainly covers whole-home air-to-water systems. Air-to-air systems heat rooms through indoor units and do not usually provide hot water, so some cylinder, radiator and pipework questions will not apply.

The current MCS design standard requires a written performance estimate and key product information before contract. The full design can follow, but the room heat losses and other specified design details must be provided before installation. If the later design changes the agreed system or expected performance, the customer should receive an updated estimate, a contract variation and an opportunity to cancel without further cost or liability.

20 questions to ask about a heat pump quote

1. What type of heat pump is this, and what will it supply?

Confirm whether it is air-to-water or air-to-air, whether it covers the whole home or only part of it, and whether hot water is included. For air-to-air, ask how many indoor units are supplied and which rooms they serve.

2. Has a room-by-room heat-loss calculation been completed?

Ask for the room results now, or a written date for receiving them before installation. Check that the assumed insulation, windows and floor construction match the property.

3. Which indoor and outdoor design temperatures were used?

These are the temperatures the system is designed to maintain inside during cold weather. Different assumptions can change the heat load, equipment size and radiator requirements.

4. Which make, model and capacity are proposed, and why?

The quote should identify the exact unit. Ask for its output at the proposed flow temperature and local design temperature, not only a headline capacity measured under other conditions.

5. Can it meet the full design heat load?

For a non-hybrid, whole-home MCS design, the heat pump should provide at least 100% of the calculated load at the proposed flow temperature without supplementary electric heat. Ask when backup heating may run and whether its electricity appears in the estimate.

6. What is the design flow temperature?

This is the temperature of water leaving the heat pump. Ask why it was chosen. If a design proposes more than 55°C, the MCS standard says an alternative at 55°C or below should also be provided, with the efficiency and energy-use differences explained.

7. Which radiators, underfloor heating and pipes will change?

Request an emitter schedule listing each radiator, fan convector or underfloor zone and its size. The scope should also identify pipework, valves, pumps, system flushing and making good.

8. What SPF and annual electricity use are estimated?

The seasonal performance factor, or SPF, compares heat delivered with electricity used over a typical year. Ask for the MCS estimate, its high and low electricity figures and whether it follows a full survey.

9. Which assumptions drive the estimate?

Check space-heating and hot-water demand, flow temperature, supplementary heat and controls. A running-cost comparison should state the assumed electricity tariff and avoid suggesting that future bills are fixed.

10. How will hot water be provided?

For air-to-water, ask for the cylinder make, size, location and reheat time. Check when the immersion heater operates, what happens after heavy hot-water use and whether the old cylinder is removed.

Expert insight

“Compare room heat losses, flow temperature, emitters and annual electricity use as one design. A strong-looking efficiency figure cannot correct inconsistent assumptions.”

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

11. Where will the outdoor unit go, and what supports the noise claim?

Ask for the position on a drawing and the completed MCS 020(a) sound calculation where the installer plans to rely on permitted development. It should account for sound-power data, distance, reflective surfaces, barriers and relevant neighbouring windows.

12. What electrical work and network contact are included?

Ask about the consumer unit, main fuse, earthing, cable route and isolators. The quote should state who contacts the distribution network operator—the company responsible for the local electricity network—and obtains advance permission where needed.

13. What building work is included and excluded?

Check the base or brackets, drainage, holes, insulation, scaffolding, lifting, old-system removal, disposal and making good. Ask how unforeseen work will be approved and priced.

14. Who checks permissions and compliance?

The contract should assign planning checks, building-regulations notification, listed-building or conservation issues and freeholder consent. A noise calculation alone does not prove that every planning condition is met.

Good to know

In England, all relevant conditions must be met for permitted development. MCS 020(a) uses a 37 dB(A) limit at specified assessment positions, but passing that test alone does not create permitted-development rights. Rules differ by UK nation and property.

15. Which business is responsible, and who are the subcontractors?

Verify the contracting business’s MCS number and certification scope. Ask who will attend and who remains responsible. MCS requires one point of contractual responsibility; separate customer contracts for design and installation are not compliant and cannot produce an MCS certificate.

16. What is the total price before and after support?

Itemise equipment, labour, extra work, VAT, grant discount and final balance. Energy Saving Trust’s 16 July 2026 update gives around £12,000 as a typical air source heat-pump installation cost, but property size and radiator work can materially change the quotation.

Good to know — funding checked 11 August 2026

Eligible England and Wales installations may receive £7,500 for air-to-water or, for residential properties, £2,500 for air-to-air. A temporary £9,000 amount applies to qualifying off-gas-grid properties replacing oil or liquefied petroleum gas with air-to-water or ground source systems, for applications properly made from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. The installer applies and shows the grant as an upfront discount. Scotland uses a separate Home Energy Scotland scheme; Northern Ireland households should check NI Energy Advice. Eligibility is not guaranteed.

Source-status note: Ofgem formally lists the £2,500 air-to-air amount. When checked on 11 August 2026, Energy Saving Trust’s air-to-air page still contained transitional wording suggesting grant availability was pending. The article follows Ofgem as scheme administrator; a page-update lag is an editorial inference, not an official explanation.

17. What protects my deposit, payments and cancellation rights?

Ask how deposits are protected, when stages become payable and what happens if equipment, performance, price or dates change. In Great Britain, qualifying distance and off-premises service contracts normally have a 14-day cancellation period. Charges can arise if you expressly ask for work to start during it.

18. Which warranties and guarantees apply?

Separate the manufacturer’s warranty, workmanship cover and financial protection. Check duration, exclusions, registration and servicing conditions, transfer to a new owner and who handles a claim if the installer stops trading.

19. What commissioning and handover are included?

Ask for commissioning records, system balancing, control settings, a demonstration and written instructions. The pack should include manuals, warranties and maintenance details. MCS requires registration and certificate generation no later than 10 working days after commissioning.

20. What aftercare applies if comfort or performance is poor?

Ask for the snagging process, monitoring period, response times, call-out charges, servicing costs and complaints route. The contract should identify who investigates design, product and installation faults.

Expert insight

“Aftercare is part of the comparison. Clear response times and charges help the customer understand what happens when controls need adjustment or a fault needs investigation.”

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 to compare quotes in five steps

1. Match the scope. Check rooms, hot water, emitters, electrical work, removal and making good.

2. Compare the design. Put heat load, model, flow temperature, emitter changes, SPF and annual electricity use side by side.

3. Normalise the price. Compare totals before and after VAT and grants, adding exclusions and provisional sums.

4. Resolve differences in writing. Ask why installers propose different loads, cylinders, temperatures or emitters.

5. Verify the business. Check its MCS listing and keep the signed contract, variations and calculations.

Energy Saving Trust recommends obtaining quotes from at least three MCS-certified installers, while Ofgem also advises property owners to obtain multiple quotes.

Key takeaways

• A useful quote connects heat loss to the equipment and emitters.

• Establish whether figures are preliminary or based on the completed design.

• Compare flow temperature, SPF and electricity use together.

• Make included, excluded and conditional costs visible.

• Treat funding, bills and performance as conditional.

• Check contractual responsibility, handover and aftercare.

Frequently asked questions

When to seek professional input

Use an MCS-certified installer for the property-specific design. Contact the planning authority, conservation officer, freeholder or distribution network operator where approval is uncertain. For cancellation or contract disputes, use Citizens Advice in Great Britain or Consumerline in Northern Ireland.