Disadvantages of Air Source Heat Pump Installation

Eco-friendly heating is a way to save energy, money and the planet. Whilst the likes of air source heat pump installation comes with many pros, there are plenty of cons too. 

This guide aims to determine if the disadvantages of air source heat pumps (ASHP) are outweighed by the advantages. Below, we’ll include:

• A quick summary of the disadvantages of heat pumps, and if you should buy one
• The top 5 disadvantages of air source heat pumps
• Considering the pros and cons, should you make the switch?

Whilst flicking through this guide you can get a fixed price on your air source heat pump here, which includes any discounts for eligible government grants.

In Summary: Heat Pump Disadvantages

Don’t have time to read the full guide? Bookmark this guide for later and read this summary instead…

Whilst the advantages of heat pumps are widely known, before spending thousands, it’s worth noting there are a few disadvantages too.

The installation cost is the biggest disadvantage, with a typical installation weighing in at £10,000 or more. 

However, there are government grants available (up to £7,500 in funding), meaning the overall installation cost isn’t much different to an average combi boiler. You can check exactly how much it will cost (as well as the current government grants available) using this clickable form. 

Running costs are there or thereabouts with an average combi boiler. But, you could eliminate your energy bills completely by using the heat pump form above, and click the “Add a solar panel system”, which can also be funded using government grants. 

Another disadvantage of heat pumps is they need an energy efficient home to operate to their full potential; good insulation and efficient radiators. As part of our installation service (get your price here), we’ll include necessary radiator upgrades. 

Finally, heat pumps are noisy. Realistically, this isn’t really a disadvantage, given typically pumps are fitted outdoors.

If you’re looking for a price on a heat pump installation, or a combination of an air source heat pump and solar panels, this clickable form gives you a fixed price on-screen and only takes a few minutes to complete.

The 5 Biggest Disadvantages of Air Source Heat Pumps

Below, we cover the biggest cons of having an ASHP fitted, including:

• The cost of installation
• Running costs
• The potential need for radiator upgrades
• ASHPs only work efficiently in insulated houses
• Noise

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1. Upfront Installation Costs

Air source heat pump installation costs thousands. Like any installation, dozens of variables affect the exact price, but for average properties in the UK, installations tend to cost in the region of £7,000-£12,000.

Whilst this is an obvious disadvantage of air source heat pumps, don’t let this be the reason to avoid them. Using our ASHP configuration tool here, it’s unlikely you’ll pay anywhere near that price. 

We clicked through a few options detailing a typical 3-bedroom property using the tool above. 

Whilst the overall installation cost here was in excess of £10,000, there’s the potential to get a £7,500 government grant for those that are eligible. The end result being, a complete heat pump installation for under £3,000.

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The upfront cost of installation is obviously a huge disadvantage of heat pumps if you’re not able to get a government grant. But, with the government under more and more pressure to reach net zero, heat pump grants are plentiful. 

Realistically, the cost of installing a heat pump (when utilising a government grant), isn’t actually a disadvantage; it’s similar in cost to a combi boiler installation.

To understand more about installation costs, read our guide to heat pump installation costs here. Or, use our ASHP price calculator here, and get a fixed price on-screen for the most suitable pump within a couple of minutes.

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2. Ongoing Running Costs

The biggest disadvantage of heat pumps? Their ongoing running costs. 

Typically these are going to be slightly higher than your average gas boiler. However, this is hard to determine exactly, as there are lots of variables that affect what you’re currently paying in gas, and what you’ll pay on electricity for your heat pump, including:

• Type of gas boiler you currently have
• Hot water and heat demand in your property
• The size (kW) of air source heat pump you plan to have fitted
• Electricity and gas price fluctuations

That said, it’s worth noting a couple of things. 

First, heat pumps are massively energy efficient. Essentially that means you’ll create approximately 50% less emissions in comparison to a gas boiler. 

More importantly, you can get your electricity for free! Not only do we fit air source heat pumps, we also fit solar panels; an installation of both at the same time will save emissions and huge amounts of cash on energy bills. 

Simply fill out our clickable air source heat pump form here. This shows you the most suitable heat pump for your property, click the option “Add a solar panel system”. 

You’ll then get a quote for both your heat pump, solar panel system and more importantly, details on any government grants that you might be eligible for.

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3. Current Radiators May Need Upgrading

Central heating systems using an air source heat pump are able to provide huge efficiency as they work “low and slow”, rather than full blast like a combi boiler does. 

Whilst the obvious advantage here is efficiency, the disadvantage is that old and inefficient radiators might not be suitable for an ASHP system. 

A side note, any old heating system will have hugely inefficient radiators anyway. It makes sense to upgrade your radiators to new and efficient ones, even if you’re simply swapping an existing broken combi boiler for a new one. 

That said, our heat pump installation prices include radiator upgrades (where applicable). 

You can use our air source heat pump quote form here to check the overall price, and whether or not you need new radiators to maximise your heat pumps efficiency. 

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4. Houses Need To Be Well Insulated

We mentioned above that due to air source heat pumps working “low and slow”, the heating system and property they’re fitted in need to be energy efficient already. 

If you don’t have a heating system with efficient radiators or modern insulation, you’ll be losing the majority of the efficiency that a heat pump can provide. 

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5. Noise

Anything working to heat, cool or ventilate a space is going to make some sort of noise, and that’s another disadvantage of an air source heat pump. Compared to a typical combi boiler, an air source heat pump is usually going to be slightly louder. 

That said, as pumps are reasonably large (much bigger than a combi boiler), they’re usually fitted outside. So realistically, this isn’t one of the cons you need to worry about when deciding whether or not to have an air source heat pump fitted. 

Pros & Cons: Should You Fit An Air Source Heat Pump?

Whilst there are a few disadvantages of air source heat pumps, they're issues that are easily solved. Heat pumps have dozens of advantages including

• Free energy when paired with solar panels
• Hugely efficient, reducing emissions
• Durable
• Extremely low maintenance
• Eligible for a range of eco-friendly government grants

If you’re looking to pair a heat pump with a solar panel system to save both money and the environment, they’re certainly worth installing. Get your fixed price on-screen here.