Home Heat pump installation Plymouth
Heat pump installation in Plymouth
MCS certified installers survey, design and fit air source heat pumps, and apply for the grant. We pass your request to installers who cover Plymouth.
Plymouth has two routes to funding a heat pump. The national Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 to anyone replacing fossil fuel heating. And the city council, working with Plymouth Energy Community, has £2.5 million of Warm Homes: Local Grant funding that can pay for heat pumps and insulation in lower-income homes.
Plymouth at a glance
- How homes are heated
- 80.9% of Plymouth households heat with mains gas only and 7.4% with electricity only. 2,146 homes (1.9%) had no central heating in 2021, and just 108 (0.1%) relied on oil. Source
- Electric heating by area
- In St Peter and the Waterfront ward, 22.1% of households (1,977) heated with electricity only in 2021. Drake ward was at 15.9% and Devonport at 10.8%. Source
- Housing mix
- 32.8% of Plymouth households lived in terraced houses in 2021 and 30.1% in semis. 25.4% lived in flats, including 7.5% in flats carved out of converted or shared houses. Source
- Energy ratings
- 46.7% of Plymouth homes with an EPC lodged up to March 2022 were rated C or above. Privately rented homes fared worse, at 38.9%, and homes built before 1930 were at 17.3%. Source
- Local grant
- Plymouth City Council runs the Warm Homes: Local Grant with Plymouth Energy Community. It announced £2.5 million in July 2025, expected to upgrade more than 200 privately owned homes rated EPC D to G, usually where household income is £36,000 or less. Source
- Median energy score
- About 47% of homes with an EPC in Plymouth are rated band D or below (median score 69, band C), against 47% across England. Based on certificates lodged in the 10 years to March 2025. Source
Warm Homes: Local Grant in Plymouth
The home must be privately owned, by you or your landlord, and rated EPC D, E, F or G. The usual income ceiling is £36,000 a year, with exceptions for certain benefits and for some low-income postcodes. Measures can include wall, loft and underfloor insulation, air source heat pumps, smart controls and solar panels. You apply through GOV.UK and a survey decides what's suitable.
Funding is limited, with around 200 homes expected to benefit, so apply early.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
There's no income test. You get £7,500 off an air or ground source heat pump, and your MCS installer claims it. The full eligibility rules for Plymouth homeowners are set out in our Boiler Upgrade Scheme guide.
Which homes suit one
Semis with cavity walls and gardens are good candidates. Homes on electric heating, common in St Peter and the Waterfront and Drake wards, can also gain a lot, since a heat pump uses far less electricity than storage heaters for the same heat.
Older homes need more work first. Only 17.3% of Plymouth homes built before 1930 rated C or above, so insulation usually comes before the heat pump.
Ask for a room-by-room heat loss calculation, the design flow temperature and the expected seasonal efficiency in writing. Check where the outdoor unit and the hot water cylinder will go before you sign.
Plymouth homes and what they need
Interwar and postwar semis
The best fit in Plymouth. Fill the cavity walls, top up the loft, and site the outdoor unit in the back garden.
Victorian terraces on the hills
Solid walls and small rear yards make it harder. Check noise distances to neighbours and consider internal wall insulation first.
Waterfront and city-centre flats
Individual heat pumps rarely fit in blocks. If your flat has electric heating, ask about an air-to-air unit, which can qualify for a £2,500 grant.
Areas covered
Engineers who cover Plymouth work across areas including Plympton, Plymstock, Mutley, Mannamead, Peverell, Stoke, Devonport, Stonehouse, Hartley and Saltash.
Questions people in Plymouth ask
Do I need planning permission for a heat pump in Plymouth?
Usually not on a house, as it's permitted development within size limits. Conservation areas and listed buildings have extra rules, so check with Plymouth City Council.
How much does a heat pump cost?
Typical installed prices are in our heat pump cost guide, and the £7,500 is deducted from your installer's invoice.
Sources
- Plymouth City Council: Free energy upgrades offered to Plymouth homes
- 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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