Buying a heat pump: seven questions for a clearer quotation

A heat-pump product page is a starting point, not a complete plan for a home. A lower equipment price does not necessarily mean a lower completed-project price. These questions help you compare the scope before deciding.

1. What demand has the design allowed for?

Ask for the heat-loss assessment and the conditions used to select the unit. Energy Saving Trust's installer guidance starts system design with heat-loss calculations, then addresses sizing, water volume, frost protection and controls. A model number alone cannot show how a proposal handles your property. Read the system-design guidance.

2. What happens to the radiators?

Ask which emitters and pipework are included, retained or changed, and what the proposed operating temperatures are. Request a written list so that two quotations can be compared on the same basis.

3. What is the hot-water plan?

Record the cylinder location, capacity and included controls. Tell the designer how the household uses hot water instead of assuming every packaged cylinder suits every home.

4. Where will everything go?

Get the outdoor-unit position, service access, drainage and electrical scope documented. Photos help an initial conversation; they do not replace every check required for the final design.

5. What is excluded?

Ask about electrical upgrades, bases, lifting, making good, removal of old equipment and any work by others. Treat an unclear allowance as a question to resolve, not a saving.

6. Who takes responsibility after installation?

Clarify commissioning records, operating instructions, servicing, manufacturer warranty conditions and whom to contact if something needs attention.

7. What would change the price?

Agree how variations are assessed and approved. Any grant or tax treatment should be checked against the current scheme and your circumstances, not assumed from an article.

Build your starting brief or explore equipment examples. Alpha is our preferred manufacturer, but the design requirements come before the brand.

Buying checklist. Prepared 7 October 2026. General purchasing guidance, not a system design or eligibility decision.