This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. Prices and grant figures are from Heatable and iHeat’s own pages and Ofgem, checked 26 August 2026, and change from time to time, so the live quote is the figure that counts. Last reviewed: August 2026.
There’s no single “best heat pump”, only a best way to buy one. The same unit can be excellent in a well-surveyed, well-insulated home and a letdown in a rushed job, because what makes a heat pump work is how well it’s sized and installed, far more than the badge on the outdoor box. So the question worth asking isn’t which model, it’s who should quote and fit it.
For most homes the answer is Heatable first: a free online estimate, then a £240 heat-loss survey that comes off the balance if they install, with a typical £7,000 to £13,000 before the grant. Add iHeat if you want a named package with a published price and 0% APR. The catch is that a heat pump isn’t a like-for-like boiler swap, and the survey can add a cylinder, larger radiators or electrical work, so treat any headline as a starting point. Our air source heat pump cost guide has the numbers, and what’s involved in the install covers the survey and the disruption.
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4.8 from 10,000+ reviews
★★★★★
4.8 from 10,000+ reviews
Who to quote, and what to buy
There’s no model that wins for every home, so the decision is really about who quotes it well. Quote Heatable first: the estimate is free, the £240 survey comes off the balance if they install, and their typical range is £7,000 to £13,000 before the grant. They design the system for your home rather than selling a named box, so there’s no single model to point at. Add iHeat if you want a fixed price against a named unit, the Alpha Hydro, Vaillant aroTHERM Plus or Worcester 5800i, with 0% APR. Both are MCS-certified and take the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme off the invoice in England and Wales, so you compare on the balance after the grant.
Heatable or iHeat: who to quote
The two aren’t really rivals so much as two different ways to buy. Heatable design a system around your home and give you a free estimate first; iHeat sell fixed, named packages at published prices. Most people are best served getting both. Full write-ups are in our Heatable review and iHeat review.
| Heatable | iHeat | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Designs the system around your home | Fixed, named packages |
| Typical price | £7,000–£13,000 before grant | From £10,595 inc VAT before grant |
| Survey | £240, refunded if they install | Survey and design before install |
| Finance | Spreads the cost monthly | 0% APR, no deposit |
| On site | 2–5 days | 2–3 days (survey first) |
| Quote them for | A designed system and a free start | A named brand at a published price |
iHeat heat pump prices
iHeat publish three air-to-water packages at fixed prices including VAT, before the grant, each with a 7-year warranty:
| Package | List (inc VAT) | Monthly from |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Hydro | £10,595 | £221 |
| Vaillant aroTHERM Plus | £11,495 | £239 |
| Worcester 5800i | £11,995 | £250 |
The Alpha Hydro is rated A++ with a silent mode and Alpha’s Smartech app; the Vaillant aroTHERM Plus and Worcester 5800i are both A+++ and Quiet Mark accredited. Finance is 0% APR with no deposit, plus a 12-month buy-now-pay-later option and longer terms up to ten years, though the longer terms aren’t the 0% deal. iHeat also advertise next-day installation if you order before 3pm, but that’s a booking claim rather than a boiler-style swap, since a heat-loss survey and design still sit in front of any install date. They’re MCS-certified and a Which? Trusted Trader, with a Trustpilot score of 4.8 from more than 10,000 reviews, and they handle the Boiler Upgrade Scheme paperwork.
What you pay after the grant
Once the £7,500 grant comes off, Heatable’s typical band nets to roughly £0 to £5,500, and iHeat’s packages to £3,095, £3,995 and £4,495. If you’re off-gas replacing oil or LPG, the £9,000 uplift takes those iHeat figures down to £1,595, £2,495 and £2,995. Those are list minus grant; anything the survey adds, such as a cylinder, radiators or electrical work, still sits on top. Our air source heat pump cost guide has the full breakdown and what pushes a job above the median.
The grant, VAT and Scotland
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is England and Wales only: £7,500 off an air-to-water or ground source heat pump, or £9,000 if you’re off the gas grid replacing oil or LPG between 21 July 2026 and 31 March 2027. It’s installer-led, so your MCS installer applies and the grant comes off the quote as an upfront discount; you confirm consent to Ofgem within 14 days and never handle the money. Hybrids that keep a fossil-fuel boiler aren’t eligible, and there’s 0% VAT on the install until 31 March 2027.
Quote Heatable first, then iHeat
Both installers are MCS-certified and both take the £7,500 grant off the price for you, so you only ever pay the balance. Heatable is the free first estimate and a system designed for your home; iHeat is the named-package price and the second number to compare.
- Free instant estimate, system designed for your home
- £240 heat-loss survey, refunded if they install
- BUS paperwork handled
- MCS + Which? Trusted Trader
- Alpha Hydro, Vaillant aroTHERM Plus or Worcester 5800i
- Fixed price, 7-year warranty
- 0% APR, no deposit
- MCS + Which? Trusted Trader
Who a heat pump is for
A heat pump makes most sense if you’re replacing an ageing oil, LPG or electric system, or a gas boiler you’re ready to move on from, and your home is reasonably well insulated or you’re willing to get it there. Because the design matters more than the model, the first move is a survey, not a shopping list, which is why we’d quote Heatable first for a free estimate and add iHeat for a named package.
If you’re off-gas on oil or LPG, ask both to price the £9,000 uplift rather than the £7,500. If you’re in Scotland, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme won’t apply, so look at Home Energy Scotland. And on planning, most air source units are permitted development in England, Scotland and Wales, subject to limits on how close the unit sits to a boundary, whether it faces a highway, and noise, though listed buildings, conservation areas and flats are the usual exceptions, and both firms check this on the survey.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best heat pump for a UK home?
There’s no single best model; the install design and sizing matter more than the badge on the unit. For most homes the sensible route is to quote Heatable first for a free estimate and a £240 heat-loss survey, with a typical £7,000 to £13,000 before the grant, then add iHeat for a named Alpha, Vaillant or Worcester package with a fixed price and 0% APR.
How much does a heat pump cost in the UK?
iHeat’s named packages are £10,595, £11,495 and £11,995 including VAT before the grant. Heatable’s typical range is £7,000 to £13,000. After the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, that’s roughly £0 to £5,500 for Heatable and £3,095 to £4,495 for iHeat, before any survey extras.
Is Heatable or iHeat better?
They suit different buyers. Heatable design the system around your home and give a free estimate first, with the £240 survey refunded if they install. iHeat sell fixed, named packages at published prices with 0% APR. Quote Heatable first and use iHeat as a second number or if you already want a named unit.
How much is the heat pump grant?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards an air-to-water or ground source heat pump in England and Wales, rising to £9,000 from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027 if you’re off-gas replacing oil or LPG. Your installer claims it for you. Scotland runs its own Home Energy Scotland scheme instead.
Is a heat pump a straight swap for my boiler?
No. It’s more disruptive than a boiler swap. The survey often adds a hot-water cylinder if you’re coming from a combi, and some radiators may need upsizing to run at a lower flow temperature. Both firms survey and design before quoting a firm price, which is why the headline is a starting point.
What about Octopus or British Gas?
Both fit heat pumps too, and we don’t quote them here, but our Octopus heat pump review weighs the Cosy up as a competitor if you want to compare it against the packages on this page.