Greater London · Heat pump installation
Heat pump installation in Barnes, Greater London
Air source heat pumps across Barnes and nearby, from a site survey or diagnosis to sign-off with the price fixed before work begins.
- Wanting to stop using oil, LPG or gas for heating
- Working out where a cylinder could go
- Finding a place for the outdoor unit
Air source heat pumps in Barnes: the local picture
About 52% of homes in the Barnes area were built before 1919, according to the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures, and about 45% of households live in flats, according to Census 2021 figures. In older homes, the heat loss calculation is especially important, as solid walls and draughts change the size of heat pump needed. Flats are often harder for air-to-water systems, so we look at whether air-to-air suits better. In London, outside space and the rules for flats often decide which kind of heat pump suits.
Chiswick House lies about 0.9 miles north-west. Owners of listed homes need consent before a heat pump is fitted, so it’s one of our first questions. Homeowners near Barnes Bridge station often ask whether a heat pump can take over from the boiler, and the heat loss survey answers that.
Barnes is about 2 miles west of Fulham, in Greater London. Across the SW13 area, we cover air source heat pumps. Count every place we list in Greater London and you reach 764, with Barnes on the list. London, roughly 7 miles off, has its own page on this site.
Not far from Barnes, a recent job of ours was on East Hill, Wandsworth (SW18), about 3 miles south-east: installing a Daikin wall-mounted unit in the open-plan living area.
Church Road, Station Road and Barnes High Street and the roads off them are all inside our area. With the A306 and B349 close by, Barnes is easy for our engineers to reach for visits of every kind. Neighbouring places we cover include Old Chiswick (1 mile north), Turnham Green (1 mile north-west), Mortlake (1 mile south-west), East Sheen (1 mile south-west) and Putney (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as London (7 miles east), City of Westminster (5 miles north-east), Marylebone (5 miles north-east) and Kensington (3 miles north-east).
Near you in Barnes
In Barnes, that means homes and buildings near Chiswick School, Sun Inn and Barn Elms, among other places. You’ll also find Polish Library POSK in London (1.4 miles north) and The Harrodian School (0.6 miles north). Barnes has its own railway station: Barnes Bridge station. Well-known places in the area include Barnes Hospital (0.7 miles south-west) and Putney Exchange (1.4 miles south-east). For a walk, there’s Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens Lake.
Air source heat pumps in Barnes
In England, an air source heat pump on a house can often go in under permitted development rights. Conditions include a maximum outdoor unit size of 1.5 m³, compliance with MCS 020(a), use for more than cooling alone and a site outside the curtilage of a listed building. We look at the planning position for your home during the survey. If the problem is planning and permitted development questions and finding a place for the outdoor unit, we can help.
For flats in Barnes, the lease, the freeholder and the rules for flats all come into it. Permitted development limits are different for flats, and we check before designing.
AirCon Doctor is an F-Gas certified company and NICEIC approved for electrical work, MCS certified for heat pumps and a Checkatrade member. Our engineers hold the F-gas qualifications needed to work on refrigerant.
- Location
- Barnes (SW13, SW15, SW14)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Quotes
- Fixed-price quote after a site survey
- Guide price
- £8,000–£16,000 (0% VAT on homes), before the grant
- Replies
- On the working day you ask
- Accreditations
- F-Gas certified company, NICEIC approved, MCS
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
Common questions in Barnes
Do I need planning permission for a heat pump in Barnes?
There’s no single answer: the building and the outdoor unit position decide it. The Barnes Green Conservation Area takes in the middle of Barnes. Heat pumps on houses are often permitted development, but listed buildings need consent and conservation areas restrict outdoor units facing a road. Where it’s needed, we check with Richmond-Upon-Thames council, which is usually the planning authority for Barnes.
Do I need permission to put air conditioning in my flat in Barnes?
In many cases, yes, once the lease and the building’s rules are checked. We look at where the outdoor unit could go, such as a balcony, flat roof or rear wall, and write it up for the freeholder or agent.
How long does a heat pump installation take?
A typical installation takes a few days for most air-to-water installations, with air-to-air systems often quicker. We plan the work so you are without heating for as little time as possible and agreed before we start.
Whose job is it to check the system for leaks?
The operator of the equipment, working with qualified engineers. Larger systems need regular checks: at least every 12 months from 5 tCO2e and every 6 months from 50 tCO2e. We’ll work out which band applies to yours.
How much VAT is charged on a heat pump in a home?
Homes pay 0% VAT on a heat pump installation until 31 March 2027, then 5%. The relief does not cover businesses, and this isn’t tax advice.
Are you F-Gas certified?
We are an F-Gas certified company, with NICEIC approval for electrical work and MCS certification for heat pumps. We are also Checkatrade members.
What does F-Gas certified mean?
For refrigerant work, both the engineer and the company need the right F-gas credentials. Ask to see proof before booking anyone, and we’re happy to show ours.
What we do, step by step
The visit goes in the diary at a time that works for you, and we let you know if plans need to move. When we arrive, we check the job against the survey or the photos you sent. Anything unexpected is raised with you before we go further. After that, it takes anything from a couple of days for air-to-air to the best part of a week for air-to-water with radiator changes. Photos of the room and where the outdoor unit could go let us plan most of a visit to Barnes in advance.
- It begins with your house and the heating it relies on now.
- Every room’s heat loss is worked out on site.
- We design the system, check the radiators and cylinder and look at the outdoor unit position.
- You get a fixed price, with any grant and the VAT set out.
- Then it’s fitted, commissioned and registered with MCS.
Getting ready for the visit
- Mention any roof access, ladders or high-level work
- Tell us about parking and loading
- Keep pets out of the rooms we are working in
How to get a quote
For air source heat pumps in Barnes, phone 07833 053749 or email us. Tell us what kind of property it is and what you’d like done, plus some photos if they’re to hand. Enquiries get a reply the same working day.
Advice
Fixed-price quotes for air source heat pumps in Barnes
Our prices page gives typical ranges, and your quote is built on your job. The quote depends on:
- Whether we need access equipment for high-level work
- A single visit or a regular plan
- The condition of any existing system
The pipe route, the height of the units and how we reach them all affect the cost. Each of those is built into the quote and give you a fixed price before work begins.
Before you get in touch
To speed up the quote, please include:
- The paperwork from the last service, if you have it
- Where the outdoor unit is, or where you’d like it
- The remote or wall controller showing any error
Photos are enough for some jobs; others need a visit first. Multi-room systems, commercial buildings and anything with a long or hidden pipe route are normally surveyed first. Either way, the quote is fixed before anything goes ahead.
Owner checks or an engineer?
Owners can handle the everyday basics: keeping the outdoor unit clear, checking the mode and set temperature, and the routine cleaning in the manual. Anything inside the units, the electrics and the refrigerant is engineer’s work.
Before you call us about a fault, a few checks can save a visit: is the system in the right mode, is the set temperature sensible, are the remote’s batteries working and has the breaker tripped. If a breaker trips again after you reset it, leave it off and give us a ring on 07833 053749 or write to us at info@aircondoctor.co.uk.
Aftercare tips
After the visit, a few habits help:
- Check what your manufacturer’s warranty asks of you
- Store the MCS certificate and warranty documents together
- Keep to regular servicing
Once commissioned, we register the installation with MCS and give you the certificate. File it with the warranty documents, as you may need it later.
Don’t cover radiators with furniture or heavy curtains, as the system relies on them giving out heat.
Towns and villages near Barnes
What else we do in Barnes
A customer’s words
“Excellent service from start to finish. Two wall-mounted units installed in our home. Clean, tidy work: they protected all the floors and left no mess. The systems work brilliantly. Would highly recommend.”
Sarah M., East Grinstead