Heat Pump Installers Brighton & Hove: MCS Certified

Heat pumps are easiest to fit where there is a garden, a side wall and room for a cylinder. In Brighton and Hove that describes the suburbs on the Downs edge far better than the converted seafront houses, where half the city's households live in flats.

Brighton at a glance

Homes in converted houses: 19.6% of Brighton and Hove households (23,803) lived in part of a converted or shared house in 2021, and 27.6% in a purpose-built block. Together with other flats, about half of all homes are flats. Source
How homes are heated: 75.3% of households heat with mains gas only, 11.9% with electricity only and 1.6% from a heat network. 2.3% (2,844 homes) have no central heating, and oil-only heating covers about 200 homes. Source
Conservation areas: Brighton and Hove City Council lists 34 conservation areas, and some have Article 4 Directions that remove permitted development rights. Source
Local grant: Brighton and Hove is in the Portsmouth-led Warm Homes: Local Grant consortium, branded Warmer Homes and delivered by Agility Eco. It is aimed at households on £36,000 or less, or on a means-tested benefit, in homes rated EPC D to G. Source
Energy ratings: About 51% of homes with an EPC in Brighton and Hove are rated band D or below (median score 68, band D), against 47% across England. Based on certificates lodged in the 10 years to March 2025. Source

Permission in a city of conservation areas

On a house, an air source heat pump is usually permitted development, provided it meets size and position limits set out by the Planning Portal. Brighton and Hove has 34 conservation areas, and inside one a unit on a wall or roof facing the road normally needs planning permission. Some areas also have Article 4 Directions, so ask the council before you commit.

Listed buildings always need listed building consent for an outdoor unit. Your installer should check this during the survey rather than after.

Flats in converted houses

A flat on an upper floor with no outside space is the hardest case. You would need the freeholder's agreement for a wall or roof position, and sometimes a lease variation. Ground-floor flats with a small yard have a better chance.

If a wet heat pump is not possible, an air-to-air unit may be. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £2,500 towards one, though it won't heat your hot water.

Grants that apply here

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7,500 off an air or ground source heat pump, with no income test. Lower-income households in homes rated EPC D to G may also qualify for Warmer Homes, the Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme Brighton and Hove takes part in through a consortium led by Portsmouth. Our heating grants page for the city explains both.

Which Brighton homes suit a heat pump

Flats in converted Regency and Victorian houses

Solid walls, tall ceilings and sash windows mean high heat loss per room. Expect the survey to recommend insulation and draught-proofing first, and larger radiators in the main rooms.

Victorian terraces on the hills

Rear yards are often small but usable. The installer will check noise limits against the neighbours' windows, since terraces sit close together.

Interwar semis in the northern suburbs

Usually the best fit in the city: cavity walls that can be filled, a garden for the outdoor unit and an airing cupboard for the cylinder.

Areas covered

Engineers who cover Brighton work across areas including Hove, Kemptown, Hanover, Preston Park, Patcham, Withdean, Hollingbury, Woodingdean, Rottingdean and Portslade.

View Brighton on Google Maps

Questions people in Brighton ask

Will a heat pump work in a draughty seafront flat?

It can, but only after the heat loss is brought down. An honest installer will tell you if insulation and glazing need sorting first.

Who applies for the £7,500?

Your MCS certified installer applies and takes it off your bill. Our Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide covers the eligibility rules.

Sources

Also nearby: Heat pump installation in Portsmouth, Heat pump installation in London

All heat pump installation locations →