Retrofit and energy
Heating upgrades and heat pumps for social landlords
Boiler and system replacements, heat pumps, controls and emitters, with engineers' registration confirmed before appointment.
Heating upgrades in social housing range from replacing failed boilers and controls to installing air source heat pumps as part of a decarbonisation programme. Gas work for payment must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and heat pumps installed under most funding schemes need an MCS-certified installer.
How do we approach heating upgrades and heat pumps?
We deliver heating programmes and one-off replacements. For each job we confirm in writing, before appointment, the registration or certification of the engineers who will carry it out, and you receive the certificates in your handover pack.
What is included?
- Boiler and full system replacements
- Air source heat pumps, cylinders and controls
- Radiator and emitter upgrades sized to the design
- Heating controls and smart thermostats
- System flushing and commissioning
- Removal of redundant appliances and flues
- Resident guidance on running the new system
What do we hand over at the end?
- Gas Safe or MCS paperwork as applicable
- Commissioning records
- Heat loss calculations for heat pumps
- Resident handover sign-off
Who is this service for?
- Landlords replacing heating at end of life
- Decarbonisation programmes
- Responsive teams needing heating cover
Process
How does each job run?
Survey and design
Heat loss and emitter sizing for heat pumps, or a like-for-like survey for boiler replacements.
Programme
Installations scheduled to avoid leaving residents without heating, especially in winter.
Install and commission
Installed and commissioned by engineers whose registration or certification we confirm in writing before appointment.
Handover
Certificates, commissioning records and resident guidance.
Rules by nation
Which rules shape heating upgrades and heat pumps in each UK nation?
The legal duties sit with the landlord. These are the rules that set the timescales and standards we work to, as checked on 31 October 2026.
Gas work done for payment must be carried out by a member of the Gas Safe Register (Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998). Landlords must have each gas appliance and flue checked at least every 12 months and give the record to the tenant within 28 days. We confirm the registration of the engineer for your job in writing before appointment.
Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 (£1.29bn for 2025–2028, plus up to £295m more for 2026/27) requires delivery under PAS 2035/2030, TrustMark-registered installers and, for heat pumps and solar, MCS certification. The fund is closed to new applications. Separately, social rented homes must reach EPC C on one reformed EPC metric by 1 April 2030.
Replacement windows, heating systems and some electrical work are controlled under the Building Regulations. In higher-risk buildings (18 metres or 7 storeys and above, with two or more homes), building work needs Building Safety Regulator approval before it starts unless it is exempt. Most repairs and like-for-like replacements are exempt, but heating systems, fuse boxes and glazing units are not.
Decent Homes Standard (England)Gas work done for payment must be carried out by a member of the Gas Safe Register (Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998). Landlords must have each gas appliance and flue checked at least every 12 months and give the record to the tenant within 28 days. We confirm the registration of the engineer for your job in writing before appointment.
WHQS 2023 asks Welsh social landlords to set a Target Energy Pathway for their homes by 31 March 2027, informed by a whole stock assessment.
Replacement windows, heating systems and some electrical work are controlled under the Building Regulations in Wales, and are self-certified by a competent person scheme installer or approved by building control.
WHQS 2023 (Wales)Gas work done for payment must be carried out by a member of the Gas Safe Register (Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998). Landlords must have each gas appliance and flue checked at least every 12 months and give the record to the tenant within 28 days. We confirm the registration of the engineer for your job in writing before appointment.
Scottish social landlords work to EESSH2, which is under review. Interim guidance was issued in March 2026, and decisions on a Social Housing Net Zero Standard are expected by spring 2027.
In Scotland, building work, conversion or demolition needs a building warrant unless it is exempt, with a completion certificate at the end. The council's building standards service is the verifier.
SHQS (Scotland)Northern Ireland has its own gas safety regulations, the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004, enforced by HSENI. We confirm in writing, before appointment, who will carry out any gas work and the registration they hold.
Retrofit funding in Northern Ireland is set by the Department for Communities and the Housing Executive's own programmes.
Building work in Northern Ireland is controlled by the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland), administered by council building control.
Decent Homes Standard (NI)Guide prices
What do heating upgrades and heat pumps cost?
Rounded planning figures with their sources and VAT basis. Your price depends on the survey, your specification and the region. Use our programme budget tool for a regional estimate.
| Item | Unit | Guide range | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air source heat pump | per home | £10,000–£14,000 | Published figure: Boiler Upgrade Scheme median installed cost £13,041 in 2025/26 (Nesta analysis, April 2026); rising towards £20,000 with emitter and pipework upgrades. VAT basis: 0% (energy-saving materials). |
| Gas combi boiler replacement | per home | £2,500–£4,000 | Published figure: Consumer guide (Checkatrade, March 2026). VAT basis: not stated. |
Prices checked 31 October 2026. See all guide prices and regional factors.
Questions
Heating upgrades and heat pumps: common questions
Who carries out the gas work?
Gas work for payment must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. We confirm the engineer's registration for your job before it starts.
Do heat pumps work in older social homes?
They can, provided the home's heat loss is reduced first and the emitters are sized properly. That is why heat pumps usually sit within a whole-house retrofit plan.
Will residents be left without heating?
We plan to avoid it. Where a home would be without heating for any period, temporary heaters can be provided where your specification allows.
Do you service heating systems?
Our focus is installation and upgrades. Annual gas safety checks are usually let as a separate compliance contract.
Related
Which services often go with heating upgrades and heat pumps?
Whole-house retrofit
Fabric-first upgrades planned as a whole: insulation, ventilation, heating and windows in the right order.
Learn more
Electrical remedial works and rewires
Remedials from EICRs, consumer unit upgrades and full rewires in occupied social homes.
Learn more
Loft and cavity wall insulation
Loft top-ups, cavity fill and extraction of failed fill, with ventilation checked alongside.
Learn moreFurther reading: The Decent Homes Standard: today and 2035 · Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and EPC C