- Area
- Northamptonshire
- Postcode district
- NN16
- Nation
- England
- Guide price
- From £2,400 inc VAT
- Survey
- Free for installation enquiries
What to know about air-to-air heat pumps in Kettering
The question for a Kettering 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.
Installers in Kettering plan condensate drains and pipe covers so indoor and outdoor runs stay neat. Top-floor rooms in Kettering that overheat in summer gain from the cooling an air-to-air system provides.
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.
- Rooms that get too hot in summer as well as cold in winter
- Homes where fitting radiators and pipework would be very disruptive
- Flats and apartments with storage or panel heaters
What's included
- Outdoor unit and indoor units for each room
- Condensate drains and neat external pipe covers
- Free survey covering rooms to heat, unit positions and hot water options
- Electrical supply and controls set up for each room
- Refrigerant pipe runs to each indoor unit, made and charged by an F-gas certified engineer
Flats in Kettering 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
In England the Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7,500 towards an air source heat pump (£9,000 if it replaces oil or LPG, from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027), and since 28 April 2026 a valid EPC is no longer needed. The grant is applied for by the MCS-certified installer and shown as a deduction on your Kettering quote.
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 Kettering
These are guide prices for Northamptonshire, 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–£5,000 |
| Air-to-air heat pump, multi-room 3–4 bedroom home | £4,000–£8,000 |
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 Kettering's winters
On the shortest day Kettering gets about 7 hours 40 minutes of daylight, with the noon sun around 14° up. The heating season runs from autumn into spring, so a heat pump that is sized correctly and set up with weather compensation does most of its work in steady, cool conditions.
The steps for air-to-air heat pumps in Kettering
- Start online with a guide price or call us.
- A home survey in Kettering 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 Kettering: questions
Where would the outdoor unit go on a Kettering 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 Kettering home.
How soon can you survey a home in Kettering?
Survey dates depend on how busy installers are in Northamptonshire. We offer the next available dates when you enquire and confirm them in writing.
Do you cover Desborough as well as Kettering?
Yes. We arrange surveys and installation in Desborough, which is about 5 miles north-west of Kettering, and across Northamptonshire.
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.
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.