Are air to air heat pumps worth it?

Pros

• Low cost to install compared with other heat pumps: about £4,500 for a flat or small house before the grant.
• £2,500 grant in England and Wales.
• Cheap heat: about 7.5p per kWh at SCOP 3.5 and October 2026 prices, against 26.32p for direct electric heaters.
• Cooling in summer, which is increasingly valuable in hot spells.
• Fast heat-up and room-by-room control.
• Quick install, usually one to three days, with little disruption.

Cons

• No hot water. You'll need a separate solution if you remove a boiler.
• Units on the walls of every room you heat (unless ducted).
• Air movement that some people notice.
• Rooms without a unit (hallways, bathrooms) may need small top-up heaters.
• Smaller savings against mains gas than against electric, oil or LPG.
• Permissions can take time for flats, listed buildings and conservation areas.

Strong case

• Flats and small homes on electric panel or storage heaters
• Homes on oil or LPG, especially smaller ones
• Homes that overheat in summer
• Extensions, loft conversions and garden rooms

Weaker case

• Larger houses with good radiators on mains gas: price an air-to-water heat pump too
• Homes where you want one quiet, invisible heat source and hot water from the same system

Questions

Are air to air heat pumps worth it?

For flats and small homes on electric, oil or LPG heating, usually yes, especially with the £2,500 grant. They're a weaker fit for larger gas-heated homes with radiators.

What are the disadvantages of air to air heat pumps?

They don't heat water, you'll see a unit in each heated room, some people notice the air movement, and savings are smaller if you're replacing mains gas.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Discounts for families to keep warm in winter and cool in summer (18 Nov 2025)
• Uswitch: October 2026 price cap, 26.32p per kWh electricity, 7.97p per kWh gas
• GOV.UK: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, what you can get

Checked 8 November 2026.