Commercial heat pump FAQs

One published installer guide (Fuse Energy, updated 8 July 2026) gives £55,000-95,000 for a 100 kW thermal air-source system and £90,000-160,000 for ground-source. These are planning bands, not quotes. See the cost guide.

Not automatically. Cost per kWh of heat is the energy price divided by efficiency. At DESNZ Q1 2026 medium-business averages (25.0p/kWh electricity, 4.55p/kWh gas, 88% boiler efficiency assumed) the break-even SCOP is about 4.8. Use your own tariffs in the calculator.

SCOP is the seasonal coefficient of performance: heat delivered divided by electricity used over a year, with rated values to BS EN 14825. A higher SCOP means lower running cost. Lower flow temperatures raise it, so ask for the design flow temperature as well as the figure.

Possibly. In England and Wales the scheme covers a building used for business where the heat pump is 45 kW thermal or less for a single heat pump (70 kW thermal for a multi-unit system), you own the property and the old system is fossil-fuel or direct-electric. The grant is £7,500, or £9,000 for oil or LPG off the gas grid (21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027). See grants and funding.

No. The MCS-certified installer applies on your behalf as the owner, and the grant is taken off the quote. Ask any installer to show the quote before and after the grant, and check their certificate on the MCS register.

No live central grant was found. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund have closed, and the Green Heat Network Fund is for heat networks only. Capital allowances still apply. Check gov.uk for any new scheme.

Yes, but not full expensing. Heating is an integral feature, which is special-rate expenditure. The Annual Investment Allowance gives 100% relief up to £1m a year, and companies can claim a 50% first-year allowance above that. Confirm the classification with your accountant.

Relief multiplied by your corporation tax rate: 25% on profits over £250,000, 19% at the small profits rate, with marginal relief between. It is not a flat amount per pound spent.

Do not assume you do not. The permitted-development rights for air-source heat pumps are written for dwellinghouses and blocks of flats. For commercial premises, ask the local planning authority. A noise assessment to BS 4142 is commonly requested.

It depends on the unit, its fans and where it is sited. Noise is judged at the nearest sensitive neighbour, so location, screening and night-time operation matter. Ask installers for sound data and a proposed siting, and check what your planning authority expects.

Possibly not. A heat pump adds electrical load, and a connection upgrade from your distribution network operator (DNO) can add cost and lead time. Ask your DNO or independent connection provider early, before you commit to a design.

A heat pump paired with a retained boiler that covers peak demand. It can reduce the size of heat pump needed and avoid some emitter upgrades. See hybrid retrofit.

Yes, but heating water to storage temperatures needs a suitable duty: a cylinder and controls designed for it, a two-stage arrangement or a high-temperature unit. A large hot-water load is worth raising with installers at the outset.

Common refrigerants include R32, R290 (propane, which is flammable) and R744 (carbon dioxide). UK F-Gas regulation applies, and refrigerant handling must be done by suitably qualified people. Ask installers which refrigerant they propose and how it affects siting.

Send your details and we reply by email. It does not give you a quote, a survey, a price or a callback time, and it commits you to nothing. Check any installer’s MCS and other credentials on the public registers before you sign.