- Area
- Dorset
- Postcode district
- BH19
- Nation
- England
- Guide price
- From £2,400 inc VAT
- Survey
- Free for installation enquiries
What to know about air-to-air heat pumps in Swanage
Homes around Swanage range from older terraces to newer estates, and each needs a different design. That is why we survey before we quote.
Installers in Swanage plan condensate drains and pipe covers so indoor and outdoor runs stay neat. For terraced homes in Swanage, 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.
- 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
- Extensions, conservatories and garden rooms
What's included
- Refrigerant pipe runs to each indoor unit, made and charged by an F-gas certified engineer
- Condensate drains and neat external pipe covers
- Electrical supply and controls set up for each room
- Free survey covering rooms to heat, unit positions and hot water options
- Outdoor unit and indoor units for each room
Flats in Swanage on storage or panel heaters can often switch to air-to-air without fitting radiators or pipework.
Grants and rules for heat pumps in England
Homes in Swanage 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 Swanage
Here are typical prices for air-to-air heat pumps in Dorset, installed and including VAT. Use the guide price tool for a figure based on your home, then a survey confirms it in writing.
| 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 Swanage and what they mean
On the shortest day Swanage gets about 7 hours 58 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 Swanage
- Start online with a guide price or call us.
- A home survey in Swanage 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 Swanage: questions
What size heat pump does a Swanage 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 Swanage home.
Do you cover Poole as well as Swanage?
Yes. We arrange surveys and installation in Poole, which is about 7 miles north of Swanage, and across Dorset.
Do I need new radiators for a heat pump in Swanage?
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 Swanage home gives a room-by-room list.
How do I look after an air-to-air system?
Clean the indoor unit filters regularly, typically every few weeks during heavy use and following the manufacturer's guidance, and keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves and snow. Annual servicing is recommended and is often a condition of the manufacturer's warranty. Any work on the refrigerant circuit must be done by an F-gas certified engineer.
Are air-to-air heat pumps suitable for flats?
Often, yes. They need no radiators, pipework or cylinder, so they suit flats heated by storage or panel heaters. You need a position for the outdoor unit, such as a balcony, wall bracket or ground-floor yard, and leaseholders normally need the freeholder's or management company's consent. Planning rules for flats differ by nation, so we check what applies at survey.