Why most heat pump installs disappoint older homes
You've probably heard the stories. "Bills went up." "House never feels warm." "Radiators didn't keep up." The common factor in those installs isn't the heat pump — it's the design before the heat pump arrived.
An air source heat pump runs at a lower flow temperature than a gas boiler. That changes everything downstream: radiator sizes, pipe runs, hot-water cylinder coil area, control strategy. Install a heat pump without redesigning around those numbers and you get the bad-story version.
Design the system around your actual house and you get the other story — the Lytham Edwardian semi we installed last year ran at a measured SCOP of 3.8 and cut heating CO₂ by 75%.
The Thermova design approach
Every quote starts with a heat-loss survey at your property — not a desk estimate. We measure each room, check insulation and glazing, walk the radiator runs, look at your hot-water demand, and check what your local grid can support.
Then we design backwards from how warm you actually want each room on the coldest design day of the year. That dictates: heat pump size, flow temperature target, radiator changes (if any), cylinder spec, controls. You see the calculation, not just the price.
What's included as standard
| Heat-loss survey | Room-by-room measurement; design flow temperature target written down |
|---|---|
| Heat pump unit | Tier-1 manufacturer outdoor unit, sized to your survey (typical: 5kW–12kW) |
| Hot-water cylinder | Heat-pump-friendly unvented cylinder; coil sized for low flow temperatures |
| Radiator upgrades | Where needed, sized for your target flow temperature — not replaced for the sake of it |
| Controls | Weather compensation, hot-water schedule, optional smart-tariff integration |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | £7,500 grant designed in and deducted directly from your invoice — no separate paperwork |
| Commissioning | Performance measured on the day, handover walkthrough, paperwork for warranty and grant |
How we differ from a typical heat pump quote
- Honest sizing. If your house doesn't suit a heat pump on a sensible budget, we tell you. We'd rather lose a quote than win one that disappoints you a year later.
- Founder-led. Graham Barr personally signs off every design. You meet the person responsible for the install, not a salesperson with a quota.
- Measured, not promised. Our published case study shows the year-one SCOP, year-one electricity use, and year-one CO₂ reduction — not just a brochure number.
- Grant route managed. The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme is property-based and not means-tested. We handle the application and deduct the grant from your invoice. You don't fill in forms.
What the grant actually means for you
The current Boiler Upgrade Scheme deducts £7,500 from an air-source heat pump install in England and Wales — applied to your invoice, not paid back later. On the Lytham case study, the full system cost was £14,200 before grant; the homeowner paid £6,700.
The scheme is open to homeowners and private landlords replacing fossil-fuel heating in eligible properties. Most three-bed semis and detached homes in Lancashire qualify. We confirm eligibility as part of the survey.
Where we install
We install across Lancashire and the Fylde Coast. Town-specific pages are available for Blackpool, Preston, Lytham St Annes and Fleetwood.
Frequently asked questions
What size heat pump will my house need?
Do I need new radiators?
Will my heat pump be noisy?
How long does installation take?
What does it cost after the £7,500 grant?
What if a heat pump isn't right for my house?
Explore further
Next step
Find out if your house is a good heat pump fit
Book a free heat-loss survey. We give you the design numbers, the grant route, and a fixed quote — no obligation, no commission-driven pitch.