Heat Pump Survey
Make the switch to clean heating with complete confidence. Our heat pump survey is perfect for homeowners ready to embrace low-carbon heating. Our expert heat pump survey delivers:
- Room-by-room heat loss assessment tailored to your property.
- Professional recommendations for air source or ground source heat pump models and sizing.
- Clear guidance on installation steps and system requirements.
Our heat pump survey gives you everything you need to make informed decisions about switching your heating system to a heat pump. The software we use covers air source and ground source heat pumps that heat your home via radiators or underfloor. If you’d like information about air-to-air heat pumps – the type that provides heating and cooling – please book a Retrofit Survey Plus.
We’ll conduct a comprehensive room-by-room heat loss assessment unique to your property, then recommend the best heat pump system for your home. Our detailed findings can be used by installers to create precise system designs and accurate installation quotes.
Why choose Futureproof? As part of the Centre for Sustainable Energy, we bring over 45 years of expertise to every survey. We’re a charity and our advice is completely impartial – we’ll never profit from the measures we recommend.
Switch to clean heating with expert guidance. Heat pumps represent the future of home heating – delivering consistent comfort while reducing both bills and carbon emissions. Our comprehensive survey helps you get the right system for your property.
What makes heat pumps special? Unlike gas boilers, a quality heat pump system will provide at least three units of heat for every one unit of energy it uses. This means heat pumps are over three times more efficient than even new gas boilers, which provide at most 0.9 units of heat for every unit of energy they use. As a result, heat pumps produce around 70% less carbon emissions and are dramatically better for our planet.
Unsure if a heat pump is suitable for your home? Try our free tool to get a quick estimate first. This gives an initial indication of heat pump size and running costs, which is a helpful starting point before choosing this survey. If you have any questions, book a free call with one of our advisors.
Your comprehensive assessment includes:
- Room-by-room heat loss calculations – Precise heating requirements for your property.
- Heat pump recommendations – Best heat pump model, size and location for your home.
- Other system recommendations – Suitable radiators (or underfloor heating), hot water tank and placement options.
- Performance comparison – How your new system compares to current heating costs with annual bill and carbon savings.
- Installation roadmap – Clear next steps toward your new heating system.
Professional standards: Our surveys comply with MCS MIS 3005, align with The Domestic Heating Design Guide 2014 and EN12831, using Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) methodology.
Do you have a question? We might have already answered it in our FAQs below. If not, book a free consultation with one of our advisors.
Our Heat Pump Survey is perfect if you are planning on installing a heat pump in your home and would like our impartial advice on the right sizing of your system. However, if you are considering making a range of energy efficiency upgrades to your home, then you might want to consider our Retrofit Survey or Retrofit Survey Plus instead of, or alongside, our Heat Pump Survey. Please see the table below for comparisons of each service.
Our service starts with us getting in touch with you to obtain the information our surveyor needs in advance and agreeing on a suitable date and time for the survey. Our surveyor will then visit your home to carry out the survey, which includes accurate heat loss calculations of your home. And finally, our surveyor will send you your report and, if you have any questions about your report, arrange a follow-up call with you.
The survey should take approximately 2 to 3 hours, depending on the size of the property.
We’ll send you a short questionnaire before we book in a date for your survey. This is to ensure our assessor has all the information they need to provide the best service for you.
Our surveys are compliant with MCS MIS 3005, in line with The Domestic Heating Design Guide 2014 and EN12831 using the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) methodology.
Futureproof operates across Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire. If you live in this area and want to make your home more comfortable, greener, or cheaper to run, we’d love to help.
For some surveys in certain areas, we might refer you to one of our partner organisations – Retrofit West or Bath and West Community Energy. This is because they provide similar surveys, often at a discount because they have utilised local funding. Often though, the surveyor conducting your survey will be from Futureproof. So, although you might book a survey through another organisation, you’ll receive the same quality and information that you need.
Retrofit West was launched in 2023 by the Centre for Sustainable Energy – the same charity behind Futureproof. It’s a one-stop shop offering independent advice and support for energy-efficient home improvements in the West of England. It coordinates local supply chains, facilitates training, and helps households plan, design, and deliver sustainable retrofit projects to achieve net zero and energy affordability. Visit their website for up-to-date information.
Our independent heat loss calculations give you a completely impartial steer on the heat pump system best suited to your property and can be used by heat pump installers for their installation plans and quotes. We can advise you on progressing to install after our survey, including identifying a suitable installer. Once you’re ready to have your heat pump system installed and you’ve chosen an installer, they will let you know next steps; the installer will still need to visit your home before providing a quote and some installers may still want to do their own heat loss survey.
We can include an EPC for an additional £66 to cover our costs. An EPC provides a basic energy efficiency rating, required for getting the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant for heat pumps, and if you are selling your property or renting it to tenants.
If you want to find out more before committing to the survey, you can book a free consultation with one of our expert advisors who can help you understand if a heat pump makes sense for your home.
Heat pumps can help reduce bills and carbon emissions.
A well-installed heat pump should provide at least three units of heat for every one unit of energy it uses. This means heat pumps are over three times more efficient than even new gas boilers, which provide at most 0.9 units of heat for every unit of energy they use.
Heat pumps are powered by electricity and with the decarbonisation of the electricity system due to an increasing proportion of electricity from low-carbon sources like renewable energy, they are much better for the planet than gas boilers or other fossil fuel heating.
Unlike gas boilers, which are often used intermittently, heat pumps work most efficiently when they’re on all the time – keeping your home a cosy, consistent temperature throughout the day.
While a heat pump is low maintenance compared to a boiler, it should still have an annual service. This will involve cleaning filters and strainers (including on the internal pipework) and testing the system to check it performs as it should. The engineer should also help with optimising settings and controls.
If you have a gas boiler or other fossil fuel heating system and want to replace it with a heat pump system, you can get a grant towards the cost of your heat pump through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Find details through the Gov.uk website.
Different manufacturers will have different clearance requirements, but there usually needs to be at least 1m clearance in front of the heat pump, and around 100-300mm clearance on the back and sides. Our assessors will suggest suitable installation spots for your heat pump as part of the survey.
Usually not. Most heat pumps can be fitted under permitted development, meaning that planning permission is not required. However, there are a few circumstances where this may not be the case:
- Your proposed heat pump location does not pass a noise assessment.
- Other fan units already exist at the property.
- Your property is located within a World Heritage Site, a conservation area, or is itself a listed building.
If any of the above are the case, we will flag this in the survey and advise on how to proceed.
A typical for a heat pump is between 40 and 60 decibels, which is the equivalent of a dishwasher. They are not permitted to be louder than 42 decibels 1m from a neighbour’s door or window.
Heat pumps can work well in older homes, but it may be more challenging to fit in the required radiator sizes and associated pipework. Our assessor can provide advice on this if appropriate.
The modelling used is for ‘wet’ heat pump systems, which include air source and ground source heat pumps. These work by heating the water in your radiators or underfloor.
If you want more information about air-to-air heat pumps – the type that acts as an air conditioner by cooling or heating the air in your home – you’ll need to book a Retrofit Survey Plus. This includes additional specialist software which covers all suitable heating options for your home.
Currently, this survey doesn’t include assessing your home for an air-to-air heat pump. This is because the modelling software used is for ‘wet’ heat pump systems that heat the water in your radiators, like air source and ground source heat pumps.
Due to the increase in hot weather, air-to-air heat pumps are becoming more popular as this is the type that can provide air conditioning. Unlike ‘wet’ heat pumps, air-to-air heat pumps work by directly heating or cooling the air in your home.
If you’re interested in finding out if this is suitable for your home, you can book a Retrofit Survey Plus. This survey uses different modelling software that covers all potential heating options for your home.
Your report will be unique to your home and its features, but we have an example report you can read. Download an example report.
Installing a heat pump is the single biggest way for most people to reduce their home's carbon footprint, with up to
lower emissions than a gas boiler.
A heat pump can create bill savings of up to
per year compared to a gas boiler, with greater savings for an older, less efficient boiler.
£375.00
How do our retrofit surveys compare…
| Retrofit Survey | Retrofit Survey Plus | Heat Pump Survey | Draught & Ventilation Survey | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expert, impartial advice |
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| Bespoke advice on energy efficiency measures |
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| Survey report |
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| Whole-home assessment including maintenance issues |
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| Multi-measure scenarios to guide next steps |
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| In-depth information and considerations on suggested measures |
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| Energy modelling with estimates of bill and carbon reductions |
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| Room-by-room heat loss calculations (MCS-approved method) |
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| Draught detection, professional airtightness testing and mechanical ventilation assessment |
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| Q&A with surveyor after report | Max 30 mins | Max 60 mins | Max 30 mins | Max 30 mins |
| Pre-survey online questionnaire |
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| Includes separate buildings e.g. separate annex |
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| EPC | Y- add-on option | Y- add-on option | Y- add-on option |
Other Services
Unsure about the service you need?
Start your home energy journey with confidence by booking a free consultation with one of our expert advisors. We’ll talk through your home’s potential and help you choose the right survey.