The efficiency difference is the main reason to consider it. A panel heater turns one unit of electricity into one unit of heat, so heat costs the full unit rate of 26.32p per kWh at the October to December 2026 price cap. A heat pump with a seasonal efficiency of 3.0 delivers heat for about 8.8p per kWh. Storage heaters on an off-peak tariff narrow the gap, so we compare against your actual tariff, insulation and expected flow temperature.
Flats in Greater London heated by storage heaters can often switch, subject to the freeholder's consent and a workable outdoor position. Bungalows around Greater London with suspended timber floors usually make running new pipework simpler. Installers in Greater London work room by room, so you can stay in your home while radiators go in.
Who it suits
- Homes with storage heaters or panel heaters throughout
- Bungalows and houses with suspended timber floors that make pipe runs easier
- 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 England
Homes in Greater London 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.
There is no VAT on installing a heat pump anywhere in the UK until 31 March 2027. In England most houses can have an air source heat pump under permitted development, provided the unit meets the MCS noise and siting standards; the old 1 m boundary limit was removed on 29 May 2025. We flag listed buildings, flats and sensitive conservation-area positions at survey.
Electric heating to heat pump prices in Greater London
Here are typical prices for replacing electric heating with a heat pump in Greater London, 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 | £10,650–£14,000 | £3,150–£6,500 |
| 2–3 bedroom terrace or semi | 5–7 kW | £11,750–£15,100 | £4,250–£7,600 |
| 3 bedroom semi or small detached | 6–9 kW | £13,450–£17,350 | £5,950–£9,850 |
| 4 bedroom detached | 8–12 kW | £15,700–£20,150 | £8,200–£12,650 |
| 5+ bedroom or larger older house | 11–16 kW | £18,500–£25,200 | £11,000–£17,700 |
Installed, inc VAT: unit, cylinder, controls, minor pipework and commissioning.
Towns we cover in Greater London
We cover 90 towns in Greater London 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islington | N1 | Highbury | 7 h 49 min |
| Bexley | DA5 | Bexleyheath | 7 h 50 min |
| Barking | IG11 | Ilford | 7 h 49 min |
| Sutton | SM1 | Carshalton | 7 h 51 min |
| Croydon | CR0 | Purley | 7 h 51 min |
| Ilford | IG1 | Barking | 7 h 49 min |
| Harrow | HA1 | Pinner | 7 h 49 min |
| Tottenham | N17 | Wood Green | 7 h 49 min |
| Walthamstow | E17 | Leyton | 7 h 49 min |
| Dagenham | RM10 | Barking | 7 h 49 min |
| Romford | RM1 | Hornchurch | 7 h 49 min |
| Hayes | UB3 | Southall | 7 h 49 min |
| Wembley | HA9 | Hendon | 7 h 49 min |
| Fulham | SW6 | Putney | 7 h 50 min |
| Southall | UB1 | Hayes | 7 h 49 min |
| Putney | SW15 | Fulham | 7 h 50 min |
| Battersea | SW11 | Chelsea | 7 h 50 min |
| Purley | CR8 | Coulsdon | 7 h 51 min |
| Peckham | SE15 | Dulwich | 7 h 50 min |
| Chingford | E4 | Woodford Green | 7 h 48 min |
| Uxbridge | UB8 | Ruislip | 7 h 49 min |
| Wimbledon | SW19 | Morden | 7 h 50 min |
| Brixton | SW2 | Clapham | 7 h 50 min |
| Hounslow | TW3 | Twickenham | 7 h 50 min |
| Finchley | N3 | Hendon | 7 h 49 min |
| Mitcham | CR4 | Morden | 7 h 51 min |
| Feltham | TW13 | Hounslow | 7 h 50 min |
| Acton | W3 | Chiswick | 7 h 49 min |
| Beckenham | BR3 | Bromley | 7 h 50 min |
| Chelsea | SW3 | Battersea | 7 h 50 min |
| Streatham | SW16 | Balham | 7 h 50 min |
| Eltham | SE9 | Blackheath | 7 h 50 min |
| Morden | SM4 | Mitcham | 7 h 51 min |
| Carshalton | SM5 | Sutton | 7 h 51 min |
| Catford | SE6 | Lewisham | 7 h 50 min |
| Surbiton | KT6 | Kingston upon Thames | 7 h 51 min |
| Stratford | E15 | Leyton | 7 h 49 min |
| Chiswick | W4 | Acton | 7 h 50 min |
| Ruislip | HA4 | Pinner | 7 h 49 min |
| Greenwich | SE10 | Blackheath | 7 h 50 min |
| Barnet | EN5 | Mill Hill | 7 h 48 min |
| Wood Green | N22 | Crouch End | 7 h 49 min |
| Muswell Hill | N10 | Crouch End | 7 h 49 min |
| Highbury | N5 | Islington | 7 h 49 min |
| Coulsdon | CR5 | Purley | 7 h 51 min |
| Hornchurch | RM11 | Upminster | 7 h 49 min |
| Blackheath | SE3 | Lewisham | 7 h 50 min |
| New Malden | KT3 | Kingston upon Thames | 7 h 51 min |
| Woodford Green | IG8 | Chingford | 7 h 48 min |
| Richmond | TW9 | Twickenham | 7 h 50 min |
| Barnes | SW13 | Putney | 7 h 50 min |
| Notting Hill | W11 | Kensington | 7 h 49 min |
| Pinner | HA5 | Harrow | 7 h 49 min |
| Golders Green | NW11 | Hampstead | 7 h 49 min |
| Tooting | SW17 | Balham | 7 h 50 min |
| Chislehurst | BR7 | Sidcup | 7 h 50 min |
| Orpington | BR6 | Chislehurst | 7 h 51 min |
| Balham | SW12 | Tooting | 7 h 50 min |
| Bexleyheath | DA6 | Bexley | 7 h 50 min |
| Bromley | BR1 | Beckenham | 7 h 51 min |
| Camden | NW1 | Kentish Town | 7 h 49 min |
| Clapham | SW4 | Brixton | 7 h 50 min |
| Crouch End | N8 | Highgate | 7 h 49 min |
| Dulwich | SE21 | Brixton | 7 h 50 min |
| Ealing | W5 | Acton | 7 h 49 min |
| Edgware | HA8 | Mill Hill | 7 h 48 min |
| Enfield | EN1 | Southgate | 7 h 48 min |
| Forest Hill | SE23 | Sydenham | 7 h 50 min |
| Hackney | E8 | Stoke Newington | 7 h 49 min |
| Hammersmith | W6 | Notting Hill | 7 h 50 min |
| Hampstead | NW3 | West Hampstead | 7 h 49 min |
| Hendon | NW4 | Golders Green | 7 h 49 min |
| Highgate | N6 | Crouch End | 7 h 49 min |
| Kensington | W8 | Notting Hill | 7 h 50 min |
| Kentish Town | NW5 | Camden | 7 h 49 min |
| Kingston upon Thames | KT1 | Surbiton | 7 h 50 min |
| Lewisham | SE13 | Blackheath | 7 h 50 min |
| Leyton | E10 | Walthamstow | 7 h 49 min |
| Mill Hill | NW7 | Edgware | 7 h 48 min |
| Sidcup | DA14 | Chislehurst | 7 h 50 min |
| Southgate | N14 | Enfield | 7 h 48 min |
| Stoke Newington | N16 | Highbury | 7 h 49 min |
| Sydenham | SE26 | Forest Hill | 7 h 50 min |
| Teddington | TW11 | Twickenham | 7 h 50 min |
| Twickenham | TW1 | Teddington | 7 h 50 min |
| Upminster | RM14 | Hornchurch | 7 h 49 min |
| Wandsworth | SW18 | Putney | 7 h 50 min |
| Wanstead | E11 | Leyton | 7 h 49 min |
| West Hampstead | NW6 | Hampstead | 7 h 49 min |
| Woolwich | SE18 | Eltham | 7 h 50 min |
Replacing electric heating with a heat pump questions
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.
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.
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.
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.