Home Heat pump installation Exeter
Heat pump installation in Exeter
Find MCS certified installers who survey, design and fit air source heat pumps in Exeter, and claim the grant for you.
Devon councils already have experience with heat pumps. Devon County Council's Home Upgrade Grant programme, which included Exeter, fitted 59 air source heat pumps in off-gas, low-income homes between 2023 and 2025. Now the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the national Boiler Upgrade Scheme offer two routes to funding.
Exeter at a glance
- How homes are heated
- 76.4% of Exeter households heat with mains gas only and 11.5% (6,029) with electricity only. 579 homes (1.1%) are on a district or communal heat network, 1,157 (2.2%) had no central heating, and 135 (0.3%) used oil only. Source
- Heating in new homes
- Of new-build homes in Exeter with an EPC lodged up to March 2022, 23.8% were heated by a community heating scheme and 66.5% by mains gas. Across all Exeter homes, community heating was 3.8%. Source
- Housing mix
- 31.3% of Exeter households lived in terraced houses in 2021, 26.9% in semis and 15.1% in detached houses. 26.0% lived in flats, maisonettes or apartments. Source
- Energy ratings
- 49.2% of Exeter homes with an EPC lodged up to March 2022 were rated C or above. The figure was 41.5% for privately rented homes, 18.6% for homes built before 1930 and 97.4% for new builds. Source
- Devon retrofit grants
- Devon County Council's Home Upgrade Grant programme, which included Exeter, helped 176 off-gas, low-income households between April 2023 and March 2025, fitting 59 air source heat pumps. Devon councils are now running the Warm Homes: Local Grant for privately owned homes rated EPC D or below. Source
- Median energy score
- About 41% of homes with an EPC in Exeter are rated band D or below (median score 70, band C), against 47% across England. Based on certificates lodged in the 10 years to March 2025. Source
Paying for it
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards an air or ground source heat pump in England, with no income test. Your MCS installer applies on your behalf.
Devon councils, working with Devon County Council, are running the Warm Homes: Local Grant for privately owned homes rated EPC D or below with lower household incomes. It can cover heat pumps and insulation. Apply through GOV.UK and check whether funding is still available for Exeter.
Which Exeter homes suit one
Semis and detached homes with cavity walls and gardens are the easiest. Homes on electric heating, common in the city centre and Exwick, can save a lot by switching to a heat pump.
Older terraces are harder. Only 18.6% of Exeter homes built before 1930 rated C or above, so insulation should come first.
Ask the installer for a room-by-room heat loss calculation, a design flow temperature and the expected seasonal efficiency in writing, and check where the cylinder will go.
Planning
A heat pump on a house is usually permitted development in England, up to 1.5 cubic metres for the outdoor unit. In a conservation area, it can't go on a wall or roof facing a highway, and listed buildings need consent. Exeter has several conservation areas, so check before installation.
Exeter homes and what they need
Interwar and post-war semis
Fill the cavity walls, top up the loft and put the unit in the back garden. These are the best candidates in the city.
Victorian and Georgian terraces
Solid walls and limited outside space make it harder. In a conservation area, the unit must not face the street.
New-build estates on the edge of the city
Many newer homes are well insulated, so a heat pump can be small. If you're on a heat network, ask the operator before making changes.
Areas covered
Engineers who cover Exeter work across areas including Heavitree, St Thomas, St Leonard's, Pennsylvania, Alphington, Whipton, Pinhoe, Exwick, Topsham and Cranbrook.
Questions people in Exeter ask
What does a heat pump cost in Exeter after the grant?
It depends on the size and radiator work. Our heat pump cost guide uses national figures, and the £7,500 grant comes off the total.
Will a heat pump work in a Devon winter?
Yes. Exeter winters are mild, and the units cope with damp air by running short defrost cycles near freezing. The defrost process is covered in our air source heat pumps guide.
Sources
- Devon County Council: Hundreds of residents benefit from warmer homes scheme
- GOV.UK: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, what you can get
- Planning Portal: Air source heat pumps
- ONS: Energy efficiency of housing, local authority districts
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