This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. Installer, price and grant figures are from Heatable and iHeat’s heat-pump 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.
The heat pump installers who can actually claim the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant for you have to be MCS-certified, and that single fact narrows the field more than any “best installer” list. For most homes it comes down to two national air source installers: Heatable first, iHeat second. Both are MCS, and both handle the grant paperwork.
A local firm is only worth quoting if they’re MCS too and will put a fixed price against the same survey. Otherwise you risk losing the £7,500, or £9,000 off-gas, and end up comparing quotes that aren’t the same job. Quote Heatable first for a free estimate, then add iHeat for a named package. Typical cash bands are in our air source heat pump cost guide, and the job itself is walked through in heat pump installation.
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The short version
Quote two MCS-certified firms, then choose on the survey, the price after the grant, and who you want on site. Heatable give a free estimate, then a £240 heat-loss survey deducted if they install, with a typical £7,000 to £13,000 before the grant. iHeat sell named Alpha, Vaillant and Worcester packages from £10,595 including VAT before the grant, with 0% APR. Both apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Don’t pick a non-MCS local just because they’re nearby: without MCS they can’t claim your grant.
What to check on a heat pump installer
A heat pump quote isn’t a next-day boiler swap. The installer sizes the outdoor unit against a heat-loss survey, checks radiators and pipework, finds space for a cylinder if you’re on a combi, and applies for the grant, with you paying the balance once it comes off the invoice. Before you book anyone, check four things:
- MCS certification. The grant is installer-led, so a non-MCS fitter can’t claim the £7,500 (or £9,000 off-gas) voucher at all. Heatable and iHeat both say they’re MCS; ask any local firm for their MCS number before you pay for a survey.
- Who applies for the grant. Both national firms handle the paperwork, and you just confirm consent when Ofgem emails you rather than applying on GOV.UK yourself. Check a local firm will do the same.
- The survey fee and what it buys. Heatable charge £240 for the in-person heat-loss survey and take it off the bill if they install. A proper survey comes before any real date, even where the marketing says next-day.
- A price you can actually compare. Heatable publish a typical £7,000 to £13,000 band; iHeat publish three live models. A local quote only helps if it’s the same scope: outdoor unit, cylinder if needed, grant deducted, and extras listed rather than buried.
Don’t treat “local” as the product. Searching for local air source heat pump installers mostly turns up directories, and a van that happens to be in your postcode is no substitute for MCS certification and a fixed after-grant price. Heatable and iHeat are national, and both send MCS engineers.
Who to quote, and how they run it
| Heatable | iHeat | |
|---|---|---|
| Path | Instant estimate, then a £240 survey | Estimate, pick a package, then a survey |
| Survey | £240, refunded if they install | Survey before any real date |
| Typical price | £7,000–£13,000 before grant | From £10,595 inc VAT before grant |
| On site | 2–5 days | 2–3 days |
| Finance | Monthly instalments | 0% APR, no deposit |
| Grant + accreditation | Applies for BUS, MCS + Which? | Applies for BUS, MCS + Which? |
iHeat’s three named packages are the Alpha Hydro at £10,595, the Vaillant aroTHERM Plus at £11,495 and the Worcester 5800i at £11,995 including VAT, each with a 7-year warranty; ignore the homepage “from £1,495” teaser, which is after-grant marketing. Heatable’s estimate is free and the only paid step is the survey. Full write-ups are in our Heatable review and iHeat review.
We don’t rank Octopus, British Gas or a random local firm as the buy path. They may fit heat pumps, but they aren’t who we send you to, the same rule as our boiler pages: Heatable and iHeat. If you want to weigh Octopus up, our Octopus heat pump review covers the Cosy as a competitor.
Two MCS quotes, the grant off the invoice
Both installers are MCS-certified and both apply for the £7,500 grant, so you only ever pay the balance. Heatable is the first quote for most homes; iHeat is the second number, or the first if you already want Alpha Hydro, Vaillant aroTHERM Plus or Worcester 5800i.
- Instant estimate, then a £240 heat-loss survey
- £240 refunded if they install
- BUS paperwork handled, MCS + Which?
- Monthly instalments on heat pumps
- Alpha Hydro, Vaillant aroTHERM Plus or Worcester 5800i
- Fixed price, 7-year warranty
- 0% APR, no deposit
- BUS paperwork handled, MCS engineers
MCS, the grant, and why a heat pump quote is different
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 off an air-to-water or ground source heat pump in England and Wales, or £9,000 from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027 if you’re off the gas grid replacing oil or LPG. Air-to-air units get a smaller £2,500 grant and aren’t a wet-heating swap. The installer must be MCS-certified, hybrids that keep a fossil-fuel boiler aren’t eligible, and the grant comes off the invoice rather than being paid to you. That’s exactly why “get a heat pump quote” from a non-MCS local is a dead end if you want the grant. Heatable and iHeat both apply. Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate schemes, so don’t use the England and Wales figures there.
A national installer, or a local MCS firm?
A good local MCS installer can be perfectly fine. The trick is to hold them to the same things Heatable and iHeat already publish: their MCS number, who submits the grant, the survey fee, the days on site, and a price that itemises the extras (radiators, cylinder, electrics). Then put that quote next to the two national firms. If a local won’t put the grant on the invoice, or can’t give you an MCS number, walk away.
Neither Heatable’s estimate tool nor iHeat’s catalogue lists a ground source model, so if you want a ground source system you still start with a survey rather than a 60-second buy. Air source cash bands sit in our air source heat pump cost guide.
How to buy
- Most homes: start with Heatable for a free estimate, then the £240 survey deducted if they install.
- Named brand (Vaillant, Alpha, Worcester): add iHeat, whose catalogue is the public price list.
- Off-gas on oil or LPG: ask both to price the £9,000 uplift, not just the £7,500.
- Scotland or Northern Ireland: the grant doesn’t apply, so don’t use the England and Wales column.
- Broken boiler this week: a replacement combi is the faster job, and our new boiler cost guide covers it.
Heatable or iHeat as your installer?
Pick Heatable when
- You want the first quote and a clear survey fee
- You don’t already have a brand in mind
- You want the grant paperwork done for you
- You may add solar later with the same firm
Pick iHeat when
- You want an Alpha Hydro, Vaillant aroTHERM Plus or Worcester 5800i
- You want 0% APR on the heat pump
- You want a second number against Heatable
- You want their published monthly-from figures
Frequently asked questions about heat pump installers
Who are the best heat pump installers in the UK?
For a quote you can actually buy, start with Heatable, then iHeat. Both are MCS-certified, both apply for the grant, and both publish a clear path (an estimate, then a survey). A local MCS firm can sit as a third number if it matches that scope. We don’t send you to Octopus or British Gas as the installer.
Do I need a local heat pump installer?
You need an MCS installer who’ll survey the house and claim the grant, and Heatable and iHeat both send MCS engineers nationally. “Local” only matters if that firm is MCS too and will put a fixed after-grant price against the same job.
What is MCS, and why does it matter?
MCS is the certification scheme for low-carbon heating installers. Only an MCS-certified installer can claim the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant on your behalf, so it’s the one non-negotiable when you’re choosing. Ask any fitter for their MCS number before you pay for a survey.
How do I get a heat pump quote?
With Heatable it’s your address and a few questions for an instant estimate, then a £240 heat-loss survey if you proceed. With iHeat you get an estimate, pick a named package, then have a survey. Both deduct the £7,500 grant on eligible England and Wales jobs.
Are Heatable and iHeat MCS-certified?
Yes, on their heat-pump product pages, and that’s the gate for the grant. It’s also the first thing to confirm with any other fitter, so ask for their MCS number before paying for a survey.
Can a heat pump installer also fit a new boiler?
Heatable and iHeat both started as boiler firms, so yes. If you decide to stay on gas, use the boiler quote path rather than the heat-pump links, and our new boiler cost guide covers what a replacement runs to.