There are no direct CO2 emissions from air conditioning and when used to heat they are as much as 500% efficient!

In many cases, the installation of a heat pump is considered as permitted development provided certain limitations and conditions are met. If you live in a listed building or a conservation area, then further requirements might apply. The requirements vary in each devolved nation, so it’s best to check with your local planning department before proceeding.

For example, in England when installing air-source heat pumps, the volume of the air source heat pump’s outdoor compressor unit (including housing) must not exceed 0.6 cubic metres. More information for England can be found here. More information for Wales can be found here. More information for Scotland can be found here.

The installation of a ground source heat pump or a water source heat pump on domestic premises is usually considered to be permitted development, and not needing an application for planning permission. However, it’s best to contact your local council to check here

You should also inform your local district network operator (DNO) prior to installing a heat pump. The DNO is the company responsible for bringing electricity from the network to your home. Your MCS installer can assist you with this and you can find more information in this guidance from the Energy Network Association.

You can find more guidance on registering a heat pump in England, Scotland and Wales on the UK Government website.

Heat pumps are more efficient than other heating systems, and use a small amount of electricity to produce a greater amount of heat for the home. Efficiency of heating systems is measured by the Coefficient of Performance (CoP). For example, if a heat pump has a CoP of 3.0, then it will deliver 3 kWh of heat power for every kWh unit of electricity used.

Every heat pump has a published datasheet with its measured CoP. The CoP is measured at a single point in time, with air source heat pumps it is normally when the air is +70C and water leaving the heat pump unit is 350C (A7/W35). However, in real-world-usage, the air or ground temperatures vary throughout the year, which may affect the heat pump efficiency.

Yes! We will all have recognised that UK summers are getting longer and warmer and a hot, stuffy house or office can be very uncomfortable. Cooling down this space and creating a pleasant environment has many benefits; from more productivity to a better night's sleep, particularly when it's warm and muggy outside.