- Area
- Dorset
- Postcode district
- BH15
- Nation
- England
- Guide price
- From £2,400 inc VAT
- Survey
- Free for installation enquiries
What to know about air-to-air heat pumps in Poole
A heat pump suits most Poole homes, but the details decide how efficiently it runs. Our survey looks at insulation, radiators and hot water use room by room.
A survey in Poole covers indoor unit positions, pipe routes and hot water for homes across Dorset. For terraced homes in Poole, the outdoor unit can often sit in a rear yard with tidy pipe runs to each room.
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
- Extensions, conservatories and garden rooms
- Households that already have, or will add, a separate source of hot water
What's included
- Outdoor unit and indoor units for each room
- Refrigerant pipe runs to each indoor unit, made and charged by an F-gas certified engineer
- Electrical supply and controls set up for each room
- Condensate drains and neat external pipe covers
- Commissioning, MCS certificate and the air-to-air grant claim in England and Wales where eligible
Top-floor rooms in Poole that overheat in summer gain from the cooling an air-to-air system provides.
Grants and rules for heat pumps in England
Homes in Poole 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.
Installing heat pumps is zero-rated for VAT across the UK until 31 March 2027. Since 29 May 2025, permitted development in England allows up to two air source heat pumps on a house, each up to 1.5 m³, with no blanket 1 m boundary rule — the installation must still meet the MCS planning standards, including the noise check. Listed buildings, flats and some conservation-area positions need extra consent, which we check at survey.
Guide prices for air-to-air heat pumps in Poole
These are guide prices for Dorset, installed and including VAT. Your final price is fixed in a written quote after the survey and depends on the heat loss of the house, the radiators that need changing and where the unit goes.
| System | Installed guide price |
|---|---|
| Air-to-air heat pump, 1–2 rooms | £2,400–£5,050 |
| Air-to-air heat pump, multi-room 3–4 bedroom home | £4,050–£8,100 |
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.
Short winter days in Poole and what they mean
On the shortest day Poole gets about 7 hours 57 minutes of daylight, and the winter sun reaches only around 16° 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 Poole
- Send your postcode and a few details, or use the guide price tool.
- A surveyor visits your Poole 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.
Air-to-air heat pumps in Poole: questions
How long does installation take in Poole?
Most installations take 2–4 days on site. Jobs with several radiator changes or new pipework take longer, and your quote for a Poole home states the expected time.
Do you cover Bournemouth as well as Poole?
Yes. We arrange surveys and installation in Bournemouth, which is about 5 miles east of Poole, and across Dorset.
Where would the outdoor unit go on a Poole 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 Poole home.
Can an air-to-air heat pump heat my water?
No. An air-to-air heat pump heats and cools the air in rooms but does not produce hot water. You need a separate source, such as an existing immersion cylinder, a hot water heat pump or an electric water heater. If you want one system for heating and hot water, an air-to-water heat pump with a cylinder is the alternative.
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.