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 Cumbria with suspended timber floors usually make running new pipework simpler. Owners across Cumbria moving off storage heaters can arrange a survey in Cumbria that compares running costs on their real tariff. Where a home in Cumbria has an airing cupboard, the immersion cylinder can often be swapped for a heat pump cylinder in the same space.
Who it suits
- Owners planning redecoration or other building work at the same time
- Homes with storage heaters or panel heaters throughout
- Flats with a suitable wall, balcony or ground-floor space for the unit
- 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 Cumbria
These are guide prices for Cumbria, 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.
| Home | Typical size | Installed guide price | After £7,500 grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 bedroom flat or small terrace | 4–5 kW | £9,500–£12,500 | £2,000–£5,000 |
| 2–3 bedroom terrace or semi | 5–7 kW | £10,500–£13,500 | £3,000–£6,000 |
| 3 bedroom semi or small detached | 6–9 kW | £12,000–£15,500 | £4,500–£8,000 |
| 4 bedroom detached | 8–12 kW | £14,000–£18,000 | £6,500–£10,500 |
| 5+ bedroom or larger older house | 11–16 kW | £16,500–£22,500 | £9,000–£15,000 |
Installed, inc VAT: unit, cylinder, controls, minor pipework and commissioning.
Towns we cover in Cumbria
We cover 10 towns in Cumbria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle | CA3 | Penrith | 7 h 11 min |
| Barrow-in-Furness | LA14 | Ulverston | 7 h 21 min |
| Kendal | LA9 | Windermere | 7 h 18 min |
| Whitehaven | CA28 | Workington | 7 h 15 min |
| Workington | CA14 | Whitehaven | 7 h 14 min |
| Penrith | CA11 | Keswick | 7 h 14 min |
| Cockermouth | CA13 | Workington | 7 h 14 min |
| Keswick | CA12 | Cockermouth | 7 h 15 min |
| Ulverston | LA12 | Barrow-in-Furness | 7 h 20 min |
| Windermere | LA23 | Kendal | 7 h 18 min |
Replacing electric heating with a heat pump questions
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.
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.
Is a heat pump cheaper to run than storage heaters?
It can be, but it depends on your tariff. Direct electric heat costs the full unit rate, 26.32p per kWh at the October to December 2026 price cap, while a heat pump with a seasonal efficiency of 3.0 delivers heat for about 8.8p per kWh. Storage heaters charged on a cheap overnight rate narrow that gap, so the survey compares on your actual tariff, insulation and expected flow temperature.
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.