Home Heat pump installation Belfast
Heat pump installation in Belfast
Air source heat pumps are rare in Belfast, but they suit some homes well. We pass your request to MCS certified installers who cover Belfast.
Heat pumps have barely started in Belfast. The 2021 Census found just 10 households in the city with an air source heat pump, against 2,677 with solar panels. Part of the reason is cost: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme that pays £7,500 in England and Wales doesn't apply in Northern Ireland.
Belfast at a glance
- How homes are heated
- 70.9% of Belfast households heat with mains gas only and 20.2% (30,190 homes) with oil only. 2.4% use electricity only and 4.9% have two or more types of central heating. Source
- Oil across the city
- Oil-only heating ranged from 8.3% of households in Water Works ward and 8.5% in Central to 41.6% in Hillfoot, 35.4% in Finaghy and 33.3% in Gilnahirk. Source
- Heat pumps
- Only 10 Belfast households reported an air source heat pump in the 2021 Census, against 2,677 with solar panels for electricity. Source
- Housing mix
- 36.8% of Belfast households lived in a terraced house in 2021, 31.2% in a semi and 12.3% in a detached house. 19.6% lived in a flat, maisonette or apartment. Source
Who should consider one
Heat pumps make most sense in homes on oil, which make up 20.2% of Belfast households, where gas isn't available, and where the house is already well insulated. A semi in Hillfoot, Gilnahirk or Finaghy, where a third or more of homes use oil, is the kind of house to look at.
If gas is available on your street, compare the cost of a heat pump with converting to gas before deciding.
Homes on electric storage heaters, about 2.4% of Belfast households, may also benefit, either from an air-to-water system feeding new radiators or from air-to-air units in the main rooms.
Funding in Northern Ireland
We couldn't find an open Northern Ireland-wide grant for heat pumps when this page was written. The Affordable Warmth Scheme focuses on insulation, heating and windows. Check current help with NI Energy Advice on 0800 111 4455 before paying for one in full.
Getting a good design
Use an MCS certified installer even without a grant. They should calculate heat loss room by room, size the heat pump and radiators for a low flow temperature, and give you an expected efficiency figure. Ask about noise, the cylinder location and how the system will be controlled.
Check with Belfast City Council's planning service before installing, especially in conservation areas or on a listed building.
Belfast homes and what they need
Victorian and Edwardian red-brick terraces
Solid brick walls and small yards make heat pumps harder to fit. Insulation and draught-proofing come first.
Suburban semis
The best fit in Belfast, especially oil-heated semis with gardens. Cavity wall and loft insulation should be in place first.
Apartments in the city centre and riverside
Individual heat pumps rarely suit apartments. Electric-heated flats might look at an air-to-air unit instead.
Areas covered
Engineers who cover Belfast work across areas including Ormeau, Stranmillis, Malone, Ballyhackamore, Sydenham, Andersonstown, Newtownabbey, Holywood, Dundonald and Carryduff.
Questions people in Belfast ask
Are heat pumps cheaper to run than oil in Belfast?
It depends on electricity and oil prices and how efficient the installation is. Our heat pump cost guide and heating oil prices guide help you compare.
Do heat pumps work in Northern Ireland's climate?
Yes. Air source heat pumps work well in mild, damp climates, though they defrost more often around freezing. Our air source heat pumps guide explains how.