- Area
- Berkshire
- Postcode district
- RG1
- Nation
- England
- Guide price
- From £2,550 inc VAT
- Survey
- Free for installation enquiries
Air-to-air heat pumps for Reading homes
In Reading, as anywhere in the UK, the heat pumps that perform well are the ones designed around low flow temperatures and sized from a proper heat loss calculation.
Extensions and garden rooms in Reading that are hard to connect to the main heating can have their own air-to-air unit. Installers in Reading plan condensate drains and pipe covers so indoor and outdoor runs stay neat.
An air-to-air heat pump warms rooms directly with air, and can cool them in summer, but it does not heat your hot water.
- Flats and apartments with storage or panel heaters
- Households that already have, or will add, a separate source of hot water
- Rooms that get too hot in summer as well as cold in winter
What's included
- Refrigerant pipe runs to each indoor unit, made and charged by an F-gas certified engineer
- Outdoor unit and indoor units for each room
- Free survey covering rooms to heat, unit positions and hot water options
- Electrical supply and controls set up for each room
- Commissioning, MCS certificate and the air-to-air grant claim in England and Wales where eligible
For terraced homes in Reading, the outdoor unit can often sit in a rear yard with tidy pipe runs to each room.
Grants and rules for heat pumps in England
Homes in Reading can use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which takes £7,500 off the cost of an air source heat pump when it replaces fossil-fuel or electric heating. Replacing oil or LPG heating qualifies for £9,000 for installations from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027, and air-to-air systems for £2,500. The MCS-certified installer named in your quote applies for the grant and deducts it from the price.
There is no VAT on installing a heat pump anywhere in the UK until 31 March 2027. In England most houses can have an air source heat pump under permitted development, provided the unit meets the MCS noise and siting standards; the old 1 m boundary limit was removed on 29 May 2025. We flag listed buildings, flats and sensitive conservation-area positions at survey.
Air-to-air heat pumps prices in Reading
Guide prices for Reading and the rest of Berkshire are shown below, installed and inc VAT. We publish ranges rather than a single figure because design details move the price, and the written quote after survey fixes it.
| System | Installed guide price |
|---|---|
| Air-to-air heat pump, 1–2 rooms | £2,550–£5,300 |
| Air-to-air heat pump, multi-room 3–4 bedroom home | £4,250–£8,500 |
Installed, inc VAT. Air-to-air systems heat (and can cool) rooms but do not provide hot water. In England and Wales the Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £2,500 towards an air-to-air system in a home, deducted from your quote where eligible.
Designing for Reading's winters
On the shortest day Reading gets about 7 hours 50 minutes of daylight, and the winter sun reaches only around 15° above the horizon at noon. Winters this far south are milder than in most of the UK, which helps a heat pump run at low flow temperatures for much of the season.
The steps for air-to-air heat pumps in Reading
- Start online with a guide price or call us.
- A home survey in Reading gives us the room-by-room heat loss.
- Your written quote sets out the design, the price and the grant position where you live.
- Installation is booked for dates that suit you; most homes take 2–4 days on site.
- After commissioning you get a handover of the controls and settings, plus the certificates.
Air-to-air heat pumps in Reading: questions
Can you service a heat pump in Reading that someone else installed?
Yes. We arrange servicing and repairs for most air source heat pumps in Reading, whoever fitted them. Tell us the make and model when you book.
What size heat pump does a Reading 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 Reading home.
How long does a heat pump survey take in Reading?
A home survey in Reading usually takes one to two hours. The surveyor measures every heated room, checks windows, walls and radiators, and looks at where the outdoor unit and cylinder can go.
Can air-to-air heat pumps cool as well as heat?
Yes. Most air-to-air systems can reverse their cycle to cool and dehumidify rooms in summer, which makes them useful for loft rooms, south-facing extensions and home offices that overheat. Cooling uses electricity, so running costs rise if it is used heavily. You control heating and cooling for each room separately.
Is there a grant for air-to-air heat pumps?
In England and Wales, yes: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme includes a grant of £2,500 for air-to-air heat pumps in homes, from 28 April 2026. The MCS-certified installer applies to Ofgem and deducts it from your quote, subject to the scheme's conditions. The scheme does not cover Scotland or Northern Ireland; in Scotland, Home Energy Scotland has its own rules.