for £5,000 towards the installation of an air source heat pump or £6,000 towards a ground source heat pump. Please see the BUS page on our website for full details.

Heat pumps are safer than combustion-based heating systems. They are safe to operate & since they rely on electricity & do not need to burn fuel to generate heat, they come with fewer safety concerns compared to their conventional counterparts.

Yes, heat pump systems can be installed into all types of building. For older or more complex buildings, more engineering design may be required than for newly constructed properties.

MCS is a mark of quality. Using an MCS certified installer, such as the Reina Group, ensures that equipment meets good standards of performance & that installers are technically safe & competent. As an MCS-certified installer, we will make sure that you receive a MCS-approved quotation and design for your new system including the location of your new heat pump. If you wish to apply for a grant under the governments BUS, you will need to use an MCS-certified installer.

For an idea of the cost, please head to our online heat pump tool for an immediate quote. Every heat pump installation will be different & the Reina Group designs a proposal to suit each property. Ground source heat pumps are the more expensive option & can cost anything between £18,000 & £30,000. This is due to the ground-work required for the installation of the pipes under the ground. Air source heat pumps come in at around a third of the price but depends on the size of your property & its insulation & windows. When thinking about buying a heat pump, it is important to also consider how much you will save on your energy bills. As part of our service, we will give you an indication of the savings you will make on your fuel bill so that you can factor this into your budget.

For a good heat pump installation on a renovated building, insulation is key. New-builds will automatically have good insulation due to adhering to the current building regulations. As a heat pump operates at a lower temperature than a conventional heating system, it’s important to retain as much heat in your home as possible by properly insulating the walls, floor & roof. A well-insulated home will not only allow your heat pump to warm your house more effectively & affordably, it may also mean that you can have a lower capacity heat pump installed (or use smaller heat emitters) – reducing upfront costs. If you want to apply for a £5,000 or £6,000 grant from the government’s BUS, you will need to make sure that you have no outstanding recommendations for roof or cavity wall insulation on your Energy Performance Certificate. You can check the status of your EPC here.

Heat Pumps extract heat energy from an external source (air, water, ground or bedrock) & convert this free, natural, renewable energy into heating for your home. The principles involved are the same as in a domestic fridge: fridges absorb heat from inside the fridge & expel it into your kitchen; heat pumps absorb heat from the source & bring it into your home.

With the correct design & equipment, all domestic hot water requirements would be provided by an air source or ground source heat pump throughout the year. A water cylinder, designed for use with a heat pump, would be required.

One of the most exciting things about heat pumps is that they provide an environmentally friendly solution to providing heat & hot water in your home. Gas boilers are one of the biggest carbon culprits in the UK, contributing to 14% of our total emissions (about the same as the cars we drive) Heat pumps operate at very high efficiencies of up to 400%, which means that for every unit of electricity used, 4 units of thermal energy are created. Other conventional heaters, such as a gas boiler, are at best 90% efficient, so with a heat pump you’ll need significantly less fuel to heat your home. A further beauty of a heat pump system is that there are no harmful emissions given off locally in the process. A heat pump will be energy-efficient but not completely zero carbon because it still needs electricity to work, but if you can generate your own electricity (eg, from solar PV panels), heat pumps can even be zero carbon.

No, they hum like a large refrigerator. The units we supply have had many years of research & development to minimise any noise. GSHPs are quieter than ASHPs. This is because they have no need for a fan & there is a reduced compressor power capacity requirement because heat extracted from the ground is generally warmer than that from the air. ASHP noise is only generated when it is in operation & has been compared to anything from a modern washing machine on a spin cycle to a chest freezer. Any noise generated will largely be minimised by double glazing.

MCS is an organisation which defines, maintains & improves quality by certifying low-carbon energy technologies & contractors – including heat pumps, solar, biomass, wind & battery storage. MCS is a mark of quality. Membership of MCS demonstrates adherence to these recognised industry standards; highlighting quality, competency & compliance. MCS aims to decarbonise heat & power in the UK’s homes by giving you confidence in home-grown energy & the installers, such as the Reina Group, who carry out this type of work.

In usual circumstances, the installation of a heat pump on domestic premises is considered to be permitted development, & therefore no planning permission is required. If you live in a listed building or a conservation area you should contact your council to check on local requirements. If the heat & water requirements of your property means that you need a 2 heat pump system, you may need to apply for planning permission but we will advise you if this is the case.

Heat pumps are considerably long-lasting. In the past, their average life expectancy was around 15 years, but thanks to several technological developments, modern units currently last around 20-25 years before they need replacing. The long life of a heat pump is attributed to their design – there isn’t that much that can go wrong, particularly with newer models. Their lifespan may vary depending on model and manufacturer, & having a maintenance contract in place will help to prolong their efficiency & life expectancy. Compared to other types of heating, heat pumps are the clear winners in terms of their longevity. Oil, electric and gas boilers may only work for 10 – 12 years before their parts need replacing, parts which the manufacturer may well have stopped producing.

For an air source heat pump, generally, any outside wall on your house can be suitable as long as there’s enough space for the pump to take in air & you’re not breaching any local planning or building regulations which the Reina Group will advise on. Consideration needs to also be given to the noise output of the unit but the Reina Group will ensure that the heat pump is placed in a suitable place to avoid any noise disturbance. An air source heat pump should be installed in a place that’s easy to access for services & other general maintenance. For this reason, it’s best located on the ground at the back of a property. This location also allows for pipework to be kept to a minimum, making the system more efficient. If you’re unable to have it installed directly on the ground, it can be hung on brackets a few inches above the ground. As a ground-source heat pump does not require an air flow or expel cold air, they can be installed inside your property.

As the name suggests, Air Source Heat Pumps extract heat directly from the air. Ground Source Heat Pumps extract heat from the ground via brine running through underground pipes, either laid horizontally in trenches or vertically in boreholes. The choice between an Air or Ground Source Heat Pump depends on your specific requirements, the size & nature of your property. The main factor when considering a Ground Source Heat Pump is whether your property has enough land to accommodate the ground loop trenches. This groundwork generally makes them a more expensive option.

To provide cooling, heat pumps can be reversed, extracting heat from the home & releasing it outside. If you have an air-to-air heat pump installed, the cooling system works similarly to air conditioning units. In the UK the default setting on a reversible heat pump would be heating. Reversible heat pump systems are designed to work adequately in both modes, however the efficiency is typically slightly less than two separately optimised pumps. If you are looking for an air-to-water heat pump system it would be necessary to install a fan unit inside your home to circulate cold air within the building. Only some models of heat pumps can act as both heating & cooling units, so if you have this requirement please do let us know in your enquiry so that the right solution can be designed and installed for you.

The heat can be distributed to rooms in various ways e.g. directly to the air, but more commonly, heat is ‘piped’ to panel radiators or underfloor heating.

Currently it costs about the same to run a heat pump as a gas boiler. Although heat pumps are magically efficient (around 4 times more efficient than a gas boiler), the way gas & electricity is currently priced (with all the carbon taxes unfairly applied to electricity & not gas) means electricity is several times more expensive than gas. The government currently applies environmental taxes of £93 to an average electricity bill but only £3 to gas bills, even though electricity is by far the greener fuel. If government removes these taxes (something they're reviewing currently) heat pumps will become much cheaper to run than a gas boiler. Your heat pump might even save you an extra £400 a year if you factor in some of the other costs you might get rid of by ditching a gas boiler, like boiler cover & a gas standing charge. If you have an oil or LPG gas boiler, then a heat pump will be significantly cheaper to run. When providing a quote for a new heat pump, the Reina Group will show the savings you can make on your existing fuel system.

There are a few steps you can take to keep your heat pump in good working order & extend its lifespan: Use a damp cloth to remove leaves, dust & debris from the filters, air inlet grill & evaporatorWipe supply & return grilles or louvers with a damp cloth & ensure they’re not blocked Carefully hose down the outdoor unit to remove dirt. Use a brush to clear away cobwebs & dirt that could block the coil or drainConsult your user manual for system-specific maintenance requirementsMore technical tasks & repairs should only be done by skilled engineers as part of a regular servicing schedule.

Yes, it is possible to set your heat pump to work only at defined times.

A ground source heat pump will generally be more expensive than an air source due to the ground works required to dig a borehole or lay the pipes in trenches running up & down the garden (horizontal collectors). As part of our full survey & proposal, we will recommend whether a borehole or horizontal trenches will be suitable for your ground source heat pump. It really will depend on the heating & cooling requirements of the property, the geology & local conditions, room available, costing & aesthetic considerations in the garden. Laying trenches is much cheaper than boreholes. Boreholes cost a lot to dig & reinforcement will be required to prevent the hole from collapsing on itself. However, there are some benefits of having a borehole. Boreholes only take up a fraction of the room that trenches do, so if you only have a small garden, this may be the only option for you. Further, it means you won’t have to dig up half your garden! The area needs to be free from large roots & must be porous. Also note, that to drill a borehole, a very large piece of drilling machinery is required. If your garden is inaccessible to vehicles then it may not be possible to get the drill into the garden.

Yes, it's possible to combine solar PV panels with an air source heat pump to generate both heating & hot water to meet your needs while being kinder to the environment. In fact, combining solar PV to generate the electricity to run your heat pump is a perfect way to get your home to achieve net-zero.

Heat pumps are considerably more efficient than other conventional central heating systems. This is because they operate at much lower temperatures. For this reason, radiators must be sized correctly so that they can distribute the same amount of heat as with a regular boiler. Compared to conventional boilers & emitter systems that operate at around 70-80°C, heat pumps have a flow temperature (the temperature which water flows around your emitter system) of around 35-50°C. This has led to a somewhat misleading term of heat pump radiators being called ‘oversized’, when in actual fact they’re accurately sized as part of the survey process. These following factors all determine the size of radiators needed: Size and shape of the roomHeat lossAmbient temperature (for instance your bedroom may not need as much heat as your living room)

Perhaps the easiest way to use a wood burning stove with a heat pump in your home is to use them independently. When we survey your property, we will take into consideration your wood burner & calculate the correct size of heat pump to work alongside it. By choosing a stove with a back boiler, it can be possible to connect or ‘dock’ your stove to your heat pump, creating an incredibly efficient heating system for your entire home. With the two appliances connected, you’ll have created a single thermal store to provide your home with hot water.

Not necessarily, as it may be that your radiators are suitable to work with a heat pump. When assessing your property, we will make a recommendation if new radiators are required. It is mandatory under MCS-certification to have new radiators, if that is what we recommend. This will ensure that all individual rooms reach the desired design temperatures.

No, we are happy to work with a 3rd party installing your radiators, alongside your new heat pump system.

If you want to make an application to the BUS, you will need a valid EPC with no outstanding roof or cavity wall insulation recommendations. If your property is a self-build, then an EPC won’t be required for a BUS application as you will have to build the house to current building regulations. You can view your EPC here.

If you want to make an application to the BUS, you will need to carry out these recommendations in advance of the commissioning of the heat pump. There are exceptions, where you would not need to carry out the insulation recommendations, such as if your property is listed, if it physically cannot incorporate the recommendations or if there are local restrictions, such as planning.

Choosing which heat pump type is best for you depends on many factors, including the size of a property, type of building and what it is used for. The process is also a factor, with ground source options proving popular for new build properties where they can be fitted during the building process & air source models being a less intrusive option for existing homes. Budget may well be a factor, as ground source heat pumps are often around 3 times the cost of an air source option.

Heat pumps for swimming pools are a low carbon way to keep your water temperature comfortable. While standard heat pumps can be used for swimming pools, there's also an option of efficient, less expensive heat pumps specifically designed for pools. Generally, we only install swimming pool heat pumps in tandem with a heat pump for the main property, but please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Yes, & by choosing a smart control option you can get instant control of heating & hot water from anywhere. Not only can this save money, it also ensures that your home is warm & welcoming when required. By setting up different profiles for the weekend, work patterns, month or season, you can have customised control to suit your lifestyle.

It is unnecessary & very expensive to have the heating running all day long, it is much more convenient to have it on only when needed. If the house is well insulated, you only need a few hours until you achieve the desired temperature level & the heat pump works more effectively. The time needed to achieve the temperature varies with the amount of heat needed & that lost (in cases of non-optimal insulation) so that it takes more time & energy to heat up rooms. Naturally, the amount of time you use your heat pump will affect the running cost of your heat pump, too.

It is not useful or productive to use a heat pump in this way. When a heat pump is set to a high temperature, the device is put under strain as it tries to absorb the heat from the air needed to reach such a high temperature. It is much more efficient to set the temperature to the required level & let it become warm: it will be faster and will also save energy. When we commission your heat pump, we will set it up with the correct settings & will talk you through how to manage your new heating system.

A borehole is drilled between 60 to 200m deep. Typically, the diameter of a borehole is around 110 to 150mm, but this depends on the type of machine being used to drill the borehole. It also depends on the diameter of the borehole pipe, which is usually between 32 to 40mm.

Yes, we can design a system to work alongside existing or new thermal solar panels.

Discarded when much of the UK’s gas consumers moved over to combi boilers, the cylinder is an essential part of heat pump systems (& also other sustainable technologies, like solar thermal). Having a cylinder ensures that hot water remains on tap & the system operates at maximum efficiency. It might be that you have a suitable cylinder already installed, but if not, we will recommend a 'heat pump ready’ hot water cylinder.

It’s a common myth that heat pumps only work with underfloor heating. The truth is that they work well on any emitter system, although you may have to increase the size of your radiators to keep your home feeling warm & cosy. Underfloor heating is often recommended as it can effectively heat a room at the lower end of the flow temperature band (around 35°C), which is when the heat pump performs most efficiently.

Some heat pumps can work with microbore pipework, but the systems we recommend will need bigger pipework to cope with the flow required. We will assess your property & advise accordingly on a suitable system.

It may be that the heat pump can cope with an extension to your property. However, as with other conventional heating systems, it may require an upgrade. If you have plans for an extension, please let us know prior to the installation of a new heat pump system as we may be able to factor this into the design

We are happy to provide an EPC (with lodgement) at the same time as undertaking a heat loss survey. The charge for an EPC is £35 + VAT which would be deducted from your final bill, should you go ahead with a heat pump installation with the Reina Group.

The Reina Group can install water source heat pumps. These work by extracting heat from a body of water & converting it into useful energy to heat your home. They use a series of submerged pipes containing a working fluid to absorb the heat from a river, lake, large pond or similar.

We work with the industry’s leading manufacturers, for both air & ground source heat pumps. This includes brands such as Thermia, Daikin, Nibe, Vaillant, Stiebel Eltron, Kensa, and Mitsubishi

Most of our heat pump installations are on private property so site visits are difficult.  Please refer to our case studies for an idea of the quality of our work.

As part of the commissioning process, we will talk you through how to operate your heat pump. We will, of course, leave the unit operating & programmed in a way that suits your lifestyle. Manufacturer manuals are provided at the end of the install & our friendly admin team are always available by phone & email should you have any questions.

For quality assurance & consumer protection, as a member of RECC, we are obliged to protect the money you pay in advance of an installation. This includes the deposit should we cease trading. We do this by means of a quality insurance-backed RECC scheme.

The heat loss survey can take around 2-2.5 hours to complete, with a further 2-3 hours doing the necessary calculations & putting together the final MCS-certified quotation. As such, we need to charge for this work but the good news is that we will take it off the cost off your bill, should you go ahead with a heat pump install.

Our online heat pump quote tool will give you an idea of the possible cost of an install. We can also give you a further indicative quotation with a bit more information about your property (please email heat pump@reinagroup.co.uk for further details). However, for an accurate price, we will have to carry out a heat loss survey. The only exception to this, is if your property is a new or self-build, in which we can usually quote accurately from drawings & plans.

From the date you accept our quotation, there will be a cooling-off period of fourteen days, during which time you can cancel the contract without cost charges.

Yes. All of our installers are professional, experienced heating engineers. You have the added piece of mind that we are have full MCS-certification.

Every heat pump installation is slightly different, but a standard air source heat pump will take around 5 days to install (including new radiators, if required). Most of the work will take place outside the property, so there is minimum disruption. A ground source heat pump will take longer to install, due to the ground works required.

Servicing is not included in an install quotation. We recommend an annual inspection & service. And every five to seven years a major service including brine/ anti-freeze change, if applicable. Manufacturer warranties apply immediately on the commissioning of your heat pump.

We ask for a 25% deposit with your signed install contract. Then, a stage payment of 35% will be invoiced up to 3 weeks prior to delivery of the heat pump to your premises. A further 25% will be invoiced upon commencement of mechanical services to your premises. The balance of 15% will be invoiced following final commissioning & handover. If you are applying for a grant from the BUS, then the value of the grant will be taken off the install cost at the time when the voucher is approved.

The purpose of a heat loss survey is to collect data relating to the property, including dimensions, building fabric, openings & existing radiators/heat emmiters. We will also look at potential locations to site the heat pump unit & note the location of the electric meter, consumer unit & stopcock. The survey requires full access to the property & photographs will be taken to record everything. Subsequent to the heat loss survey, we will carry out the necessary calculations to be able to send you a full heat pump proposal and MCS-certified quotation.

We charge £135 + VAT for a heat loss survey in Kent, Surrey, Sussex & the parts of Essex which we cover. For London addresses, the cost is £165 + VAT.

Prior to the install, we will contact you to arrange a full site visit. On install day, your installer will arrive bright & early at a pre-arranged time. They’ll walk you through what the job involves & how they’ll go about it. So you can relax & leave it to the experts.

No. Our engineers will make sure that surfaces are protected & the area they're working on is always clean & tidy.

We have been installing heat pumps since 2003.