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.
Flats in Glasgow and Dunbartonshire heated by storage heaters can often switch, subject to the freeholder's consent and a workable outdoor position. Installers in Glasgow and Dunbartonshire work room by room, so you can stay in your home while radiators go in. Bungalows around Glasgow and Dunbartonshire with suspended timber floors usually make running new pipework simpler.
Who it suits
- Homes with storage heaters or panel heaters throughout
- Owners planning redecoration or other building work at the same time
- Properties with an electric boiler and existing radiators
- Flats with a suitable wall, balcony or ground-floor space for the unit
Grants and rules for heat pumps in Scotland
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not apply in Scotland. Instead, homeowners in Glasgow and Dunbartonshire can apply to Home Energy Scotland for a grant of up to £7,500 towards a heat pump, with up to £1,500 more for eligible rural and island homes, plus an optional interest-free loan of up to £7,500. You need a written funding offer before any work starts.
There is no VAT on installing a heat pump anywhere in the UK, Scotland included, until 31 March 2027. Scottish permitted development rules and building standards apply, and the surveyor checks the unit position and any listed or conservation-area constraints.
Electric heating to heat pump prices in Glasgow and Dunbartonshire
These are guide prices for Glasgow and Dunbartonshire, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 bedroom flat or small terrace | 4–5 kW | £9,500–£12,500 |
| 2–3 bedroom terrace or semi | 5–7 kW | £10,500–£13,500 |
| 3 bedroom semi or small detached | 6–9 kW | £12,000–£15,500 |
| 4 bedroom detached | 8–12 kW | £14,000–£18,000 |
| 5+ bedroom or larger older house | 11–16 kW | £16,500–£22,500 |
Installed, inc VAT: unit, cylinder, controls, minor pipework and commissioning. In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland grants of up to £7,500 and interest-free loans may reduce the cost.
Towns we cover in Glasgow and Dunbartonshire
We cover 8 towns in Glasgow and Dunbartonshire for replacing electric heating with a heat pump. Each links to local guide prices and the grant position for Scotland.
| Town | Postcode district | Nearest town | Midwinter daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow | G2 | Bishopbriggs | 6 h 59 min |
| Bearsden | G61 | Milngavie | 6 h 58 min |
| Clydebank | G81 | Bearsden | 6 h 58 min |
| Bishopbriggs | G64 | Glasgow | 6 h 58 min |
| Dumbarton | G82 | Alexandria | 6 h 57 min |
| Kirkintilloch | G66 | Bishopbriggs | 6 h 58 min |
| Alexandria | G83 | Dumbarton | 6 h 57 min |
| Milngavie | G62 | Bearsden | 6 h 58 min |
Replacing electric heating with a heat pump questions
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.
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.
Can I keep my electric immersion cylinder?
Usually not for heating by the heat pump, because a standard immersion cylinder has no coil, or one too small to take heat at low flow temperatures. A heat pump cylinder replaces it, often in the same cupboard, and keeps an immersion element as backup. If you choose an air-to-air system instead, which does not make hot water, the existing cylinder stays in use.