How do I choose a heat pump installer?

What qualifications should I check?

For Boiler Upgrade Scheme installations, the installation company must be MCS certified.

It must also belong to an approved consumer code. Ofgem currently lists HIES and RECC as the approved codes for the scheme.

Those requirements do not guarantee a perfect installation, but they give you technical and consumer-protection routes that an unregistered installer may not provide.

What should happen before I get a final quote?

A serious heat-pump design should be based on the building.

The engineer should measure the property and calculate heat loss rather than simply asking for the boiler size or floor area.

You should be able to see:

• whole-home design heat loss;
• room-by-room heat loss;
• proposed heat-pump output;
• design flow temperature;
• radiator or underfloor-heating outputs;
• hot-water-cylinder requirements;
• electrical requirements;
• outdoor-unit position and noise assessment.

What questions expose a weak installer?

Ask these before signing:

1. 1
   What flow temperature are you designing for?

   They should be able to explain why.

2. 2
   Can I see the room-by-room heat-loss calculation?

   A vague answer is a warning sign.

3. 3
   Why are these radiators being changed?

   Each change should relate to required heat output.

4. 4
   How did you size the heat pump?

   “We always fit this size” is not a design method.

5. 5
   How will weather compensation be set up?

   The controls should match the system design.

6. 6
   How will condensate drain away?

   This should be decided before the unit is fitted.

7. 7
   Who handles DNO notification or supply upgrades?

   Electrical work should not be an afterthought.

Should I always choose the cheapest quote?

No.

Compare the design behind the quote and what is included. A cheaper system that needs corrective work or runs at a higher temperature can cost more over time.

Energy Saving Trust recommends obtaining at least three quotes from MCS-certified installers.

Does neat workmanship really matter?

It is not proof of performance, but it is useful evidence of care.

The installer in our source interview uses details such as level outdoor units, continuous pipe insulation and tidy support clips as early clues to the standard of the wider job.

That is an experienced installer’s heuristic, not a formal pass-or-fail test.

What should I do next?

Shortlist three MCS-certified installers, confirm their RECC or HIES membership where required, and ask all three for the same design outputs. Compare the engineering before you compare the price.

Sources

• Ofgem, Boiler Upgrade Scheme: Guidance for Installers, version 5.1, updated for 2026 scheme rules.
• Energy Saving Trust, heat-pump installation guidance, checked 24 September 2026.
• Source interview with Heat Geek installer, survey, design and workmanship sections.

Last checked: 24 September 2026