Interested in a heat pump? Here’s what to expect from your first click to toasty, planet-friendly heating
Step 1 - Tell us you’re interested
Pop your postcode in online, grab your free estimate, and secure your survey with a £200 deposit.
Step 2 - Survey & proposal
Our surveyor visits your home to check it’s eligible for a heat pump. Don’t worry it’s a non-invasive survey - that means no lifting floorboards or prising open walls!
Your surveyor will check:
The pipes in your home and their flow rate
Where we would be able to install your heat pump and hot water cylinder
Your radiators’ compatibility with a heat pump
Afterwards, you’ll receive:
Your bespoke system design
Your final quote (including the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant if you’re eligible)
Expected running costs of a heat pump in your home
Step 3 - Approvals & preparation
Your Smart Tech Specialist will guide you through:
Securing any planning permission (if it’s needed)
Any radiator, pipework or electrical upgrades we flagged in your survey
Approvals from your grid operator (only if required)
Scaffolding arrangements (if needed!)
Step 4 - Book your installation date
Once all the approval and pre-install steps are complete, we’ll confirm your installation date (how exciting!).
Once you have all your approvals, it’s usually 4-16 weeks until your install date - but this can vary depending on the region of the country you’re in!
If you’ve got space at your property, we can also drop off your kit a week early so it’s ready to go on installation day.
Step 5 - Installation week
You’ve made it to installation week - exciting!
If scaffolding’s needed, it’ll usually go up the week before your install.
Most installs take a few days, but the exact timing depends on your home. Your Smart Tech Specialist will confirm the details after our pre-checks.
Day 1: Meet the crew, they’ll get set up, and hot water is usually back on by the end of the day.
During the install: Heating’s off, but we’ll lend you space heaters so you stay toasty.
Final day: Wrap-up, system handover, and a proper walkthrough of your new heat pump.
We’ll need you home on Day 1 and the final day - the rest is up to you.
Step 6 - Handover & aftercare
Once the install is all done, you’ll receive:
MCS & electrical certificates
Insurance documents
The full system details of your brand new heat pump!
Your final payment will be due once installation and handover are complete.
And if you have any questions about your new system? Our aftercare team is always just a call away.
Sometimes, a few extras are needed
Most installations are smooth and straightforward, but some homes need an extra bit of TLC before the install. In some cases, we may need to arrange:
Planning permission (if your property isn’t covered by Permitted Development).
Electricity grid checks (if your local grid needs to approve extra capacity).
Structural survey (if heavy items like loft cylinders are planned).
Asbestos testing
Scaffolding (occasionally needed for high-level pipework).
If anything like this crops up, we’ll let you know well in advance.
Check what's included in your quote in our FAQs.
Ready for your personalised quote?
Whether you’re just curious or have done your homework, getting a quote is a simple, stress-free next step.
Explore before you decide
Making heat pumps more accessible
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See what our customers think and how heat pumps are changing homes for the better.
We don’t just wave goodbye
Visit our heat pump support hub for post-installation guidance, tips, and maintenance help.
Cosy heat pump customers on the Cosy Octopus tariff saved an average of £224 last year compared to using a gas boiler running at 85% efficiency on our standard variable tariff
This figure is based on the actual energy consumption of all Cosy heat pump customers on a Cosy Octopus tariff between 1 July 2025 and 1 July 2026, using tariff rates at the time.
We compared this to the cost of producing the same amount of heat with a gas boiler operating at 85% efficiency, priced using our Flexible Octopus (standard variable) tariff at the same time.
Savings from gas standing charges were included only for customers who had fully removed their gas supply (less than 3% of customers). Actual savings vary depending on system design, tariff choice, home insulation, and energy use.
Our typical heat pump price is £4,459, which is lower than the national average of £5,600
This is the median post-survey price from all of our heat pump quotes after the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme has been applied, between 01/09/2025 and 28/02/2026. The national average is taken from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme statistics: April 2026 – median cost of installation Q4 2025.
Cut carbon emissions by 82% with a heat pump
This is the typical reduction in heating carbon emissions using an electric powered heat pump compared to a gas boiler.
The carbon breakdown
Gas CO2 (tonnes per year) - 2.42
Electricity CO2 (tonnes per year) - 0.43
Carbon saving (tonnes per year) - 1.99
Data sources and assumptions
Gas Energy Usage (kWh) 11500 (Ofgem medium use gas usage (Jun 2026))
Heat Pump Efficiency 312% (typical seasonal coefficient of performance from a fleet of Octopus high temperature heat pumps)
Gas Boiler Efficiency 85% (The typical gas boiler efficiency from a BEIS study)
Gas fuel emissions of (gCO2/kWh) 210 (SAP 10.2)
Electricity fuel emissions of (gCO2/kWh) 136 (SAP 10.2)
Based on these sources, heat pumps typically produce lower operational emissions when heating the home than gas boilers.
For more information, explore our Octopus Cosy heat pump fleet performance dashboard.
We're the largest heat pump installer on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Based on Octopus benchmarking against Ofgem reports from 2024, and we've continued to grow since.
Our customers love their heat pumps!
- 93% of people say it's the same or more comfortable than their previous boiler
- 87% say it costs the same to run or less
- 83% say it's the same noise or less than the previous boiler
- 90% say it's just as easy or easier to maintain
We survey all our heat pump customers 3 months post-installation to see how they find their heat pump compared to their previous gas boiler. Survey results are taken from a sample of 2,837 customers:
Comfort: 93% of people say it is the same or more comfortable than their previous boiler.
Running Costs: 87% say it costs the same to run or less.
Noise: 83% say it is the same noise or less than the previous boiler.
Maintenance: 90% say it is just as easy or easier to maintain.
A heat pump is around 4x more efficient than a gas boiler
Heat pumps don't generate heat by burning fuel. Instead, they transfer existing heat into your home. This means they can deliver multiple units of heat for each unit of electricity used.
Based on performance data from a fleet of installed Octopus Cosy heat pumps, typical real-world seasonal performance (SPF or SCOP) is around 3.6. This means around 3–4 kWh of heat is delivered for every 1 kWh of electricity used (an effective efficiency of 300–400%). By comparison, typical UK domestic gas boilers operate at around 85% efficiency, delivering approximately 0.85 kWh of heat per 1 kWh of gas used. On this basis, a heat pump can be around 4× more efficient than a typical gas boiler.
All our heat pumps are independently tested by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), with SCOP values published on the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) product database. Actual efficiency will vary depending on the property, system design, and usage. For more information, explore our Octopus Cosy heat pump fleet performance dashboard.
The UK's most awarded energy supplier
We've won more awards for customer service than anyone else.
Heat pumps give reliable, consistent heating and hot water
The heat pump user survey report by Nesta from May 2023 summarises that "users are highly satisfied with their heat pumps". It states: "People living in England, Scotland and Wales who own their home and use a heat pump to heat it are satisfied that heat pumps are safe, reliable, quiet heat sources that are effective for space heating and producing hot water." Find the full report here.
The Cosy heat pump is quiet
Heat pump sound power levels are verified by an independent, third-party laboratory as part of the testing process for inclusion on the MCS product database. The laboratory verifies the sound power on the A-weighted decibel curve, as A-weighting closely aligns to how humans perceive "loudness".
All heat pumps are measured using EN14511 standards to ensure uniformity across manufacturers and models. Our Cosy 6 heat pump has a verified sound power level lower than many other heat pumps of the same capacity.
Heat pump heating makes the air healthier in your home
Homes with a heat pump emit far less harmful nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions than those with gas boilers and cookers, significantly reducing asthma and other respiratory illnesses. According to the Sustainable Markets Initiative Cleantech Homes report.
A heat pump can add thousands to your property value
Analysis by the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge suggests a 16% value uplift for new-build homes with enough solar and battery storage to eliminate energy bills. A further study of over five million existing properties indicates a 2-3% value increase for existing homes with solar panels or heat pumps (versus like-for-like gas-heated homes), according to the Sustainable Markets Initiative: Cleantech Homes report, 2024.
As of April 2025, the average house price in the UK is £265,497 according to the Land Registry. Therefore, a 2-3% value increase for an average house priced at £265,497 would be between £5,310 and £7,965.
Heat pumps typically last longer than gas boilers
The expected lifespan of a typical gas boiler is 10–15 years. A heat pump typically has a lifespan of 15–20 years, with UK government research indicating an average of around 20 years. Manufacturer Daikin reports similar ranges. Actual lifespan depends on factors such as installation quality, maintenance, usage patterns, and operating conditions.