England · Updated 8 November 2026
Air to air heat pumps in Manchester
Air to air heat pumps suit many Manchester homes, especially flats and smaller homes on electric heating. A typical install for a flat or small house is about £4,500, and if you're replacing gas, oil, LPG or electric heating the £2,500 grant comes off that. Tell us about your home and we'll pass your enquiry to up to three F-gas certified installers who cover Manchester.
Manchester homes and air to air heat pumps
Manchester is known for its rows of red-brick Victorian terraces across areas like Levenshulme, Rusholme and Longsight, alongside large inter-war suburbs, mill conversions and a fast-growing stock of city-centre apartments in Ancoats, the Northern Quarter, Castlefield and Salford. City-centre flats are often heated by electric panel heaters, where air to air can cut heating bills sharply.
What to know locally
- Apartments: many city-centre blocks restrict anything fixed to the facade or balconies. Check with the managing agent before getting quotes.
- Mill conversions and listed buildings: listed building consent will be needed, and outdoor units may have to go on roofs or in courtyards.
- Conservation areas: including Didsbury and Victoria Park. Units facing a highway need permission.
- Surrounding areas: we also cover Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and Wigan.
Grant
The £2,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant applies in Manchester as in the rest of England. The system must replace your existing heating, be able to meet your home's heating needs, and be fitted by an installer MCS certified for air to air. It doesn't heat water, so plan for that if you're removing a boiler.
Planning
In England, a unit that provides heating is usually permitted development if it's installed to MCS 020 and meets the size, siting and 42 dB noise limits. Planning decisions here are made by Manchester City Council (or Salford, Trafford, Stockport and the other Greater Manchester councils if you're outside the city boundary). See our planning guide.
Costs
| System | Typical price | After £2,500 grant |
|---|---|---|
| Single room | From about £2,400 | Grant can cover most of it |
| Flat or small house | About £4,500 | About £2,000 |
| Larger house | £6,000 to £8,800+ | £3,500 to £6,300+ |
National guide prices, not local quotes. See the full cost guide.
Areas we cover
City Centre, Ancoats, Northern Quarter, Castlefield, Didsbury, Chorlton, Withington, Fallowfield, Levenshulme, Prestwich, Salford, Sale, Stretford, Stockport and the rest of Manchester. Postcodes: M1 to M90 for Manchester and much of Greater Manchester, with SK, OL, BL and WN covering Stockport, Oldham, Bolton and Wigan.
Nearby
Liverpool 31 milesSheffield 33 milesLeeds 36 milesNottingham 58 miles
Questions
Is there an air to air heat pump grant in Manchester?
Yes, the £2,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant applies in Manchester and the rest of England if you meet the conditions.
Can I replace electric panel heaters in a city-centre flat?
Usually, with the managing agent's or freeholder's consent. Replacing electric heating qualifies for the grant if the system can meet the flat's heating needs.
Sources
- Ofgem: Summary of updates to BUS guidance for installers, March 2026 (air-to-air eligible from 28 April 2026)
- GOV.UK: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, what you can get
- GOV.UK: Discounts for families to keep warm in winter and cool in summer (18 Nov 2025)
- Planning Portal: Heat pumps
- MCS: New permitted development rules in England, MCS 020(a)
Checked 8 November 2026.