Heat pump installation costs

[WalksWithTurkeys]

I have a gas boiler with 7 radiators, all but one are double panel, in a 3 bed bungalow. As the Worcester Bosch boiler is 15 years old, I’m considering a heat pump because of the government grant. It seems that a heat pump and hardware bits and bobs are of the order of £5,000-£6,000. Installation costs are roughly the same again. So we’re talking very roughly £5,000 after the grant. With the heat geek quote one radiator is replaced, and a hot water cylinder installed along with the pump. Savings over the year according to one estimate would be minimal.

Why is the installation so expensive? What on earth do they do that comes to ~£6,000?

 

[Wayners]

What about office. Vans. Collage and training courses. Tools. The cost of providing quotes. Website. Accountant. Insurance. Any warranty or callouts they will have to attend.
Wages.
Business will need to make a profit.
Probably loads more costs I haven't mentioned.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

I had a plumber round on Friday, replaced two radiators and put in an outside tap, £60 per hour. Plumbers installed my WB boiler 15 years ago, cost today about £4,000-£5,000 total. Replacement cost like for like much less. These people all have vans to run, quotes to fund etc. What do they actually do for ~£6,000? Assume £60 / hour, that’s 100 hours work.

Taking your statement at face value, one install per week, that’s ~48 per year, £240,000 + £48,000 = £288,000. Mmmmmm.

 

[denso13]

I had a plumber round on Friday, replaced two radiators and put in an outside tap, £60 per hour.

Get him to install it?

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

Get him to install it?

He only does gas boilers and general plumbing. I should have asked him about cost, he’s fairly candid.

 

[jj4091]

I would guess at the moment there are a limited number of installerts so they are making hay while the sun shines

 

[muggles]

I would guess at the moment there are a limited number of installerts so they are making hay while the sun shines

Some might be, but I don't think a lot are. Personally I charge the same labour rate whether replacing a tap washer or installing a heat pump.

£6000 is very optimistic for all the kit you need. OP has missed quite a bit there

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

I would guess at the moment there are a limited number of installerts so they are making hay while the sun shines

That is my guess, hence why I want to know what it actually involves. I suspect the government wants to encourage people to retrain, and a large profit margin is the way to tempt them in. Plus its a small market, so the actual heat pumps will be expensive for a while.

I found an example quote online from two years ago, the actual heat pump price is not so different today:

That’s a lot of money for electrical work. My EV charger installation cost about £400 requiring connection to the consumer unit and installation of an RCD. Over £3k for labour excluding electrics. Over £1,000 for other stuff. I’m curious what that electrical and non electrical work actually involves e.g. how many people, how many hours.

 

[gas112]

Gas boiler installers can get a heat pump installed for nothing the take up on this has been negligible even with adverts being put in all the trade publications / getting constant emails links on facebook pages etc etc ask your self why its not being taken up for free and people in the trade still wanting to stick with gas boilers despite the possibility of making more money from fitting heat pumps .

 

[dilalio]

And if you think your new heat pump will perform like your gas boiler currently does... You're in for more dissatisfaction.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

And if you think your new heat pump will perform like your gas boiler currently does... You're in for more dissatisfaction.

People are disappointed if they think they can use it like a gas boiler e.g. almost instant heat in a room. There’s plenty who like them when they figure out how they work.

Gas boiler installers can get a heat pump installed for nothing the take up on this has been negligible even with adverts being put in all the trade publications / getting constant emails links on facebook pages etc etc ask your self why its not being taken up for free and people in the trade still wanting to stick with gas boilers despite the possibility of making more money from fitting heat pumps .

I’m only going by what I have read, but some people say connecting up a heat pump is no big deal in comparison to a gas boiler. However, they normally output water at a lower temperature, which may require more or better radiators and improved insulation otherwise the house will never be warm. There’s been many cases of a heat pump installed and the home owner is disappointed because the house is unsuitable.

I’d still like to know details behind the install to understand why it costs so much!

 

[dilalio]

People are disappointed if they think they can use it like a gas boiler e.g. almost instant heat in a room. There’s plenty who like them when they figure out how they work.

I was one of the first to become a Heat Geek.

 

[denso13]

Plumbers installed my WB boiler 15 years ago, cost today about £4,000-£5,000 total.

That would give more profit than installing a heat pump you don't seem to question that though.

 

[gas112]

one of the reasons why it costs more to install is the installer will already think the customer is gullible because they have chosen a heat pump so are gullible enough to pay what ever they are told .
Also people thinking they are getting 7500 off the government so still think they are saving ££££ on total installation cost

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

That would give more profit than installing a heat pump you don't seem to question that though.

Maybe because there is a huge difference between £15,000 and £5.000.

All I am doing is asking for an explanation of what heat pump installers do to justify the cost. When the plumber came last week, he told me he charged £60 per hour, and it was pretty obvious that he had earned his fee. Same with the electrician who installed my EV charger. And the roofer who replaced the mortar under the tiles at the end of the roof. I am happy to pay a skilled trade a fair fee. Hell, I’ll even pay a bit more if he does a good job. I’ve dealt with cowboys, mercifully a long time ago, and it’s not pleasant.

Why is it wrong to ask what a job involves?