- Area
- Highlands and Islands
- Postcode district
- ZE1
- Nation
- Scotland
- Guide price
- From £10,650 inc VAT
- Survey
- Free for installation enquiries
Before you book: air source heat pump installation in Lerwick
The question for a Lerwick home is rarely whether a heat pump can work, but what needs to change to make it work well: radiator sizes, pipework, controls and where the unit goes.
Terraced streets in Lerwick often mean a compact unit position at the rear, so siting and sound levels are checked carefully. Many homes in Lerwick have a side passage or rear garden with room for an outdoor unit, and the survey checks airflow and distance from neighbouring windows.
We survey your home, design a heat pump system around its real heat loss, and manage the installation from the first visit to the MCS certificate.
- Homes replacing a gas, oil, LPG or electric heating system
- Owners who want one contract covering design, fitting and paperwork
- Houses with reasonable insulation, or a plan to improve it
What's included
- System design, unit sizing and a written quote
- Radiator and pipework changes where the design needs them
- Removal of the old boiler or heaters
- Outdoor unit, hot water cylinder and weather compensation controls
- Free home survey and room-by-room heat loss calculation
Homeowners across the Highlands and Islands can arrange a survey in Lerwick for a room-by-room design and a written quote before committing to anything.
Grants and rules for heat pumps in Scotland
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not apply in Scotland. Instead, homeowners in Lerwick can apply to Home Energy Scotland for a grant of up to £7,500 towards a heat pump, with up to £1,500 more for eligible rural and island homes, plus an optional interest-free loan of up to £7,500. You need a written funding offer before any work starts.
Installing heat pumps is zero-rated for VAT across the UK until 31 March 2027. Scotland has its own permitted development rules for air source heat pumps and its own building standards, so we confirm what applies to your Lerwick property at survey.
Air source heat pump installation prices in Lerwick
The ranges below are typical installed prices for homes in the Highlands and Islands, including VAT. A survey sets the exact figure, because two similar-looking houses in Lerwick can need quite different radiators and pipework.
| Home | Typical size | Installed guide price |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 bedroom flat or small terrace | 4–5 kW | £10,650–£14,000 |
| 2–3 bedroom terrace or semi | 5–7 kW | £11,750–£15,100 |
| 3 bedroom semi or small detached | 6–9 kW | £13,450–£17,350 |
| 4 bedroom detached | 8–12 kW | £15,700–£20,150 |
| 5+ bedroom or larger older house | 11–16 kW | £18,500–£25,200 |
Installed, inc VAT: unit, cylinder, controls, minor pipework and commissioning. In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland grants of up to £7,500 and interest-free loans may reduce the cost.
How long is the heating season in Lerwick?
Lerwick has about 5 hours 49 minutes of daylight at midwinter against 18 hours 56 minutes in midsummer. Heat pumps are designed to keep working well below freezing, but the design temperature for the survey is set for local conditions, not an average day.
The steps for air source heat pump installation in Lerwick
- Send your postcode and a few details, or use the guide price tool.
- A surveyor visits your Lerwick home, measures every room and checks where the outdoor unit can go.
- You receive a heat loss design and a fixed written quote, with any grant shown where it applies.
- Installers fit the unit, cylinder and any radiator changes, typically over 2–4 days on site.
- The system is commissioned, set up with weather compensation and handed over with the paperwork.
Lerwick is in an area we cover by arrangement, so survey dates and any travel costs are confirmed individually in your quote.
Air source heat pump installation in Lerwick: questions
Do I need new radiators for a heat pump in Lerwick?
Often some, not all. Heat pumps run best at lower water temperatures, so rooms with small radiators may need larger ones. The survey of your Lerwick home gives a room-by-room list.
Where would the outdoor unit go on a Lerwick house?
Usually at the side or rear, on a level base with space around it for airflow and servicing, away from bedroom windows where possible. The surveyor checks positions at your Lerwick home.
What size heat pump does a Lerwick home need?
It depends on the heat loss, not the postcode. As a rough guide, a 3 bedroom semi often needs 6–9 kW, but the room-by-room survey sets the actual size for your Lerwick home.
Do I need new radiators for a heat pump?
Not always; many homes keep most of their radiators and change only a few. Because a heat pump runs at a lower water temperature than a boiler, each radiator gives out less heat, so the survey checks every room against its heat loss. Rooms where the existing radiator falls short get a larger one, with a guide price of £250–£450 each, installed and including VAT.
What grants can I get for a heat pump?
It depends on where you live. In England and Wales the Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7,500 towards an air-to-water heat pump, which the installer claims and deducts from your quote. In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland offers a grant of up to £7,500, with up to £1,500 more for eligible rural and island homes, but you need a written funding offer before work starts. Northern Ireland has no dedicated homeowner heat pump grant at present.