Getting a Heat Pump
A detailed guide of what is involved in a Heat Pump installation from enquiry to completion.
The Process
Step One
Before you contact us, speak to someone at Home Energy Scotland, or call them free on 0808 808 2282.
One of their advisors will take you through a series of questions about your home.
They will produce a home selector report confirming a heat pump will be a suitable option for you. They will email you the report along with the initial application form for the grant and/or loan.
Find out about help with the cost of a heat pump installation.
Step Two – Home Survey
Once Home Energy Scotland have confirmed your suitability contact us and we will arrange a suitable time for Andrew to come and carry out a home survey.
It is imperative that our surveyor physically visits your property; to collect the measurements and other information needed to design the most optimal system for you.
During the survey Andrew will talk with you about changing to a heat pump system and give you plenty of time to ask any questions.
Step Three – Calculations
Back in the office, Andrew will look at the survey measurements and carry out full room-by-room heat loss calculations; a necessity for all heat pump installations. These calculations account for the room sizes, the insulation walls and windows, and the height of the rooms.
The size of the space and the thermal properties of the building’s materials are combined with the lowest temperature expected over winter and your own preferred room temperatures to ensure you stay cosy and warm.
Then we look at the heat emitters you will need (e.g. radiators, underfloor heating). It is just as important to size these correctly and pair with a suitably sized heat pump.
Because air source heat pumps operate within low temperature heating systems, we tend to need heat emitters with larger surface areas to effectively transfer the heat from the system into the occupied living spaces within the home.
Underfloor heating is highly recommended in new-build or retrofit homes, but radiators can be just as useful, and any radiator amendments required will be included in your proposal.
It is only possible to design a correctly sized, well-functioning heat pump system by calculating a building’s heat loss and understanding its heating requirements and heat emitters.
If the heat pump is too small, it will not be able to sufficiently meet the property’s heating demands. But if too large, it will be far less efficient leading to higher energy bills.
Some installs across Scotland have not been calculated correctly and this has led to heat pumps receiving a bad name for cost and efficiency. This is why we take the time to get it right, to ensure you receive an optimised system that runs efficiently keeping you warm, and your energy bills appropriate. All the while safe in the knowledge you have done a good thing for the environment!
Step Four – Apply for the Grant / Loan
Once the calculations are complete and the system designed, we will email you a proposal. This will contain a detailed quote, a contract of sale, a notice of right to cancel, a heat pump performance estimate and a whole heat pump system performance estimate.
At this point you should complete the application form for the grant/loan that you would have received along with the home selector report from home energy Scotland. Our quote is required to be submitted as part of the application along with a copy of your home selector report.
Once Home Energy Scotland have received your completed application form, they will issue an official grant/loan offer. Due to Home Energy Scotland’s terms and conditions, no work can commence until you have received an official grant and loan (if applicable) offer.
Due to Home Energy Scotland’s terms and conditions, no work can commence until you have received an official grant and loan (if applicable) offer. To get the offer you will need to contact Home Energy Scotland again to fill out an application form and submit our quote to them.
Step Five – Initial Payments
Once you receive your official offer and provide acceptance of our proposal, we will email you the required documents for signing via our electronic signature platform along with an invoice for the deposit (25% of the total contract value).
We will order the required materials and arrange a suitable installation date with you. We require an advance payment of 35% no more than 2 weeks before the agreed installation date with the final payment being required on completion of the installation and receipt of your MCS certificate.
Home Energy Scotland will require you to provide the MCS certificate and an updated EPC along with their completed claim form to draw down the funding offered by them.
Find out about help with the cost of a heat pump installation.
Step Six – Installation
Once you receive your official offer and provide acceptance of our proposal, we will email you the required documents for signing via our electronic signature platform along with an invoice for the deposit (25% of the total contract value).
We will order the required materials and arrange a suitable installation date with you. We require an advance payment of 35% no more than 2 weeks before the agreed installation date with the final payment being required on completion of the installation and receipt of your MCS certificate.
Home Energy Scotland will require you to provide the MCS certificate and an updated EPC along with their completed claim form to draw down the funding offered by them.
Aftercare
After a week or so Andrew will return to check the operation of the system and ensure that it has been optimised and is running efficiently according to your families heating and hot water requirements. This will provide another opportunity to go over any questions you may still have about your new system.
Heat pump systems require very little maintenance other than an annual service which also ensures that any warranties remain valid. It’s also a good opportunity for our engineers to be sure that your system is still operating at its very best. We will be in touch with you around a month before your service is due to arrange a suitable date to carry out your service.
Get in Touch Today
Whether you’re looking for traditional heating systems or renewable energy solutions, our experienced team is here to help.
