Replacing electric heating with a heat pump means taking out storage heaters, panel heaters or an electric boiler and installing an air-to-water heat pump that heats water for radiators or underfloor heating and a hot water cylinder. If you already have an electric boiler and radiators, the change is similar to a boiler swap. If you have storage or panel heaters, there is no wet system yet, so radiators and pipework need to be installed throughout.
Bungalows around Cornwall with suspended timber floors usually make running new pipework simpler. Flats in Cornwall heated by storage heaters can often switch, subject to the freeholder's consent and a workable outdoor position. Installers in Cornwall work room by room, so you can stay in your home while radiators go in.
Who it suits
- Owners planning redecoration or other building work at the same time
- Homes with storage heaters or panel heaters throughout
- Properties with an electric boiler and existing radiators
- Bungalows and houses with suspended timber floors that make pipe runs easier
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 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.
Electric heating to heat pump prices in Cornwall
Here are typical prices for replacing electric heating with a heat pump in Cornwall, installed and including VAT. Use the guide price tool for a figure based on your home, then a survey confirms it in writing.
| Home | Typical size | Installed guide price | After £7,500 grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 bedroom flat or small terrace | 4–5 kW | £9,800–£12,900 | £2,300–£5,400 |
| 2–3 bedroom terrace or semi | 5–7 kW | £10,800–£13,900 | £3,300–£6,400 |
| 3 bedroom semi or small detached | 6–9 kW | £12,350–£15,950 | £4,850–£8,450 |
| 4 bedroom detached | 8–12 kW | £14,400–£18,550 | £6,900–£11,050 |
| 5+ bedroom or larger older house | 11–16 kW | £17,000–£23,200 | £9,500–£15,700 |
Installed, inc VAT: unit, cylinder, controls, minor pipework and commissioning.
Towns we cover in Cornwall
We cover 15 towns in Cornwall for replacing electric heating with a heat pump. Each links to local guide prices and the grant position for England.
| Town | Postcode district | Nearest town | Midwinter daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redruth | TR16 | Camborne | 8 h 02 min |
| Falmouth | TR11 | Truro | 8 h 03 min |
| St Austell | PL25 | Bodmin | 8 h 01 min |
| Truro | TR1 | Falmouth | 8 h 02 min |
| Camborne | TR14 | Redruth | 8 h 02 min |
| Newquay | TR7 | Truro | 8 h 00 min |
| Penzance | TR18 | Hayle | 8 h 03 min |
| Bodmin | PL31 | Wadebridge | 8 h 00 min |
| Saltash | PL12 | Plymouth | 8 h 00 min |
| Bude | EX23 | Launceston | 7 h 56 min |
| Hayle | TR27 | Camborne | 8 h 02 min |
| Helston | TR13 | Camborne | 8 h 03 min |
| Launceston | PL15 | Liskeard | 7 h 58 min |
| Liskeard | PL14 | Saltash | 8 h 00 min |
| Wadebridge | PL27 | Bodmin | 7 h 59 min |
Replacing electric heating with a heat pump questions
Can I replace storage heaters with a heat pump?
Yes. Storage heaters are removed and replaced with an air-to-water heat pump connected to new radiators or underfloor heating and a hot water cylinder. Because there is no existing wet system, pipework has to be run to each room, so the job is larger than a boiler swap. The survey plans pipe routes and radiator sizes before you receive a written quote.
What if I live in a flat?
Many flats can have a heat pump, but you need a suitable outdoor position, such as a balcony, yard or wall bracket, and leaseholders need consent from the freeholder or management company. Planning permission may be needed depending on the nation and the building, which we check at survey. Where a wet system is impractical, an air-to-air heat pump with separate hot water is an alternative.
How disruptive is fitting radiators in a home that has none?
More disruptive than a boiler swap, but planned. Floorboards are lifted to run pipes, some holes are drilled through walls and radiators are hung room by room. Rooms are worked on in a set order so you can keep living at home, and holes are made good, while redecoration is usually yours. The programme in your quote shows how long each stage typically takes.
Do I qualify for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme if I have electric heating?
In England and Wales, owners of existing homes replacing electric heating can qualify, provided the heat pump meets the home's full heating and hot water needs and the other scheme conditions are met. The grant is £7,500 for an air-to-water system. The scheme does not cover Scotland or Northern Ireland; Scotland has separate Home Energy Scotland funding.