- Area
- West Midlands
- Postcode district
- B17
- Nation
- England
- Guide price
- From £250 inc VAT
- Survey
- Free for installation enquiries
What to know about heat pump radiator upgrades in Harborne
A heat pump suits most Harborne homes, but the details decide how efficiently it runs. Our survey looks at insulation, radiators and hot water use room by room.
Extensions and kitchen-diners around Harborne with large glazed areas get their own radiator calculation. In Harborne, bay-windowed front rooms are often the rooms that need a larger radiator when moving to a heat pump.
We size each radiator to your room-by-room heat loss so a heat pump can heat your home at a low, efficient flow temperature.
- Rooms that already feel slow to heat, such as bay-windowed living rooms
- Homes switching from a gas, oil or LPG boiler to a heat pump
- Extensions and loft conversions with large areas of glazing
What's included
- Draining, refilling, cleaning and inhibitor treatment of the heating system
- Pipework checks and any agreed pipe upgrades
- Making good around brackets and pipe routes, with any decorating agreed in your quote
- Balancing every radiator so each room heats evenly
- Supply and fitting of new radiators, valves and brackets
Many older houses in Harborne still have their original single-panel radiators, so the survey checks each one against the room it heats.
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 Harborne quote.
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.
What to budget for heat pump radiator upgrades in Harborne
These are guide prices for the West Midlands, 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.
| Work | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Replacement radiator, sized for a heat pump (each, fitted) | £250–£450 |
| Upgrade of about 10 radiators | £2,000–£5,000 |
| Pipework upgrade (e.g. microbore to larger bore) | £1,500–£3,500 |
Installed, inc VAT. The survey lists which radiators need changing.
Winter daylight and heating in Harborne
Harborne has about 7 hours 40 minutes of daylight at midwinter and 16 hours 49 minutes at midsummer. That swing matters if you pair a heat pump with solar panels: summer generation can cover much of the hot water, winter generation far less.
What happens after you enquire in Harborne?
- Tell us about your home: postcode, property type and current heating.
- We book a survey in Harborne; the surveyor measures rooms, windows and radiators and looks at cylinder space.
- The design and quote arrive in writing, including radiator changes and the outdoor unit position.
- On installation days the old system is removed and the new one fitted and filled.
- We commission the heat pump, show you the controls and register the installation.
Heat pump radiator upgrades in Harborne: questions
Do I need new radiators for a heat pump in Harborne?
Often some, not all. Heat pumps run best at lower water temperatures, so rooms with small radiators may need larger ones. The survey of your Harborne home gives a room-by-room list.
Do you cover Edgbaston as well as Harborne?
Yes. We arrange surveys and installation in Edgbaston, which is about a mile east of Harborne, and across the West Midlands.
Where would the outdoor unit go on a Harborne 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 Harborne home.
Can radiators be changed without draining the whole system?
Radiator changes normally mean draining the heating system, which is why they are usually done as part of the heat pump installation. The system is then refilled, flushed, treated with inhibitor and balanced. Doing the radiators at the same time avoids draining twice and means the new radiators are commissioned with the heat pump.
Can I keep my radiators and just run the heat pump hotter?
You can, but it usually costs more to run. Every extra degree of flow temperature reduces a heat pump's efficiency, so a system designed at 55°C uses noticeably more electricity than one at 45°C for the same heat. A few well-chosen radiator upgrades often let the whole house run cooler, which is the better long-term trade.