THE READING FIELD GUIDE / AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
What is included beyond the heat pump itself? On a Reading quote, look for the cylinder, emitters, electrical work and removal of old equipment.
START WITH THE PROPERTY
For a Reading house, photograph the current boiler, hot-water space, radiators and consumer unit. This helps separate the heat pump itself from the work needed to make it serve every room.
BEFORE YOU ACCEPT A QUOTE
Ask each installer to identify emitters to change, cylinder work, controls and electrical upgrades against the same heat-loss report. A lower total can simply reflect a shorter list of included tasks.
LOCAL COST EVIDENCE / OCTOBER 2026
A quoted installation price depends on the work inside the home. Electricity use depends on the finished design and tariff.
We could not verify a representative local average for a fully installed, family-sized system. Published installer figures mix starting prices, example homes and different scopes. Averaging them would suggest more certainty than the evidence allows.
For a useful comparison, ask each installer to itemise the heat pump, cylinder, radiator changes, electrical work and commissioning, then show the price before and after any eligible grant.
about £840approximate annual cost if the October–December 2026 unit rate lasted a full year
This is a model, not a measured bill or an average for families with heat pumps. It starts with 11,617 kWh, the 2024 mean annual domestic gas use per meter in Reading. We apply 85% boiler efficiency and a heat pump seasonal performance factor of 3.1, then price the electricity at 26.47p per kWh in Southern England.
Calculation: 2024 mean gas kWh per domestic meter × 0.85 ÷ 3.1 × Ofgem electricity unit rate. The result is rounded to the nearest £10. It assumes the gas meter's entire use was for heating and hot water, so cooking and other gas use can make it too high. It does not include existing electricity standing charges, servicing, or changes to your other electricity use.
Gas consumption is by local authority, except London, which uses the London region. Oxfordshire combines its five districts by gas-meter count. The electricity rate follows the distribution region for the place; Oxfordshire spans two regions. Actual cost depends on your heat-loss survey, hot-water use, chosen tariff, controls and the installed system's measured performance. Ask the installer for a property-specific annual estimate.
ILLUSTRATIVE QUOTE COMPARISON
One excludes the consumer-unit upgrade and retains every radiator.
Another includes electrical work and two emitters identified by the survey.
Ask the first installer to explain those omissions against the same heat-loss report. Compare the complete route to a heated home, not two unmatched totals.
ANOTHER PROJECT AT THE SAME ADDRESS?
NEXT STEP IN READING
Once scope is complete, ask which flow temperature and outdoor conditions underpin the running estimate. Two designs can include the same hardware yet promise different efficiency.