Heat Pump Installers Derby: MCS Certified Fitting

Derby's housing suits heat pumps better than most cities. Nearly two in three households live in a semi or detached house, which usually means outdoor space for the unit and room for a hot water cylinder indoors.

Derby at a glance

Types of home: 39.1% of Derby households live in a semi-detached house and 24.1% in a detached house, a high share for a city. 21.8% live in a terrace and 12.2% in a purpose-built block of flats. Source
How homes are heated: 81.3% of Derby households heat with mains gas only and 7.1% with electricity only. Just 36 homes use oil only and 236 are on a communal or district heat network. Source
Local grant: Derby City Council secured £1.6m from the Warm Homes: Local Grant over three years for low-income, privately owned homes rated EPC D to G, with up to £30,000 per property. YES Energy Solutions delivers it; eight homes were retrofitted in year one and 120 more are planned over the next two years. Source
Heat pump planning: A detached house can have two air source heat pumps under permitted development, other houses one, each up to 1.5 cubic metres and meeting MCS 020a. Units in conservation areas cannot face a highway. Source
Energy ratings: About 54% of homes with an EPC in Derby are rated band D or below (median score 67, band D), against 47% across England. Based on certificates lodged in the 10 years to March 2025. Source

Planning rules

Detached houses can have up to two units under permitted development; semis and terraces get one. Each must be no bigger than 1.5 cubic metres and meet the MCS noise standard at the neighbour's window.

Darley Abbey and other historic parts of Derby include conservation areas and listed buildings. There the unit can't face a highway, and listed buildings need consent.

Funding

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards an air source heat pump, with no income test.

Derby City Council has £1.6m of Warm Homes: Local Grant funding over three years for low-income owners of homes rated EPC D to G. It offers up to £30,000 per property, and more efficient heating is one of the measures. YES Energy Solutions delivers it.

Hot water and the cylinder

An air-to-water heat pump needs a hot water cylinder. Many Derby semis still have an airing cupboard that can take one, but combi owners in smaller homes may need to find space in a loft or utility room.

Ask the installer how the system handles legionella protection. Most raise the cylinder temperature once a week, either with the heat pump or an immersion heater.

The survey

A room-by-room heat loss calculation should decide the size of the unit and the radiators. Before it, fill any empty cavities and top up the loft: lower heat loss means a smaller, cheaper system. Our heat pump cost guide shows typical prices.

Heat pumps in Derby homes

Suburban semis from the 1930s to the 1960s

Side paths and back gardens make siting easy. Expect a few radiators to be upsized, especially in bay-fronted rooms.

Modern estates on the outskirts

Good insulation and modern windows make these the easiest homes to convert. Some new builds already have underfloor heating downstairs.

Victorian terraces near the centre

Solid walls lose more heat, and outdoor space is limited to the yard. It's possible, but insulation upgrades may come first.

Areas covered

Engineers who cover Derby work across areas including Allestree, Darley Abbey, Mickleover, Littleover, Chaddesden, Normanton, Alvaston, Oakwood, Spondon and Chellaston.

View Derby on Google Maps

Questions people in Derby ask

Do heat pumps work in winter?

Yes, if correctly sized for the house. They run longer at gentler temperatures than a boiler, and the reasons are set out in our air source heat pumps guide.

How long does installation take?

Often three to five days, depending on how many radiators and pipes change.

Can I keep the gas boiler as a backup?

Not under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which requires the heat pump to replace your fossil fuel heating fully.

Sources

Also nearby: Heat pump installation in Nottingham, Heat pump installation in Leicester, Heat pump installation in Sheffield, Heat pump installation in Stoke-on-Trent

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