Brighton and Hove · Heat pump installation
Carlton Hill air source heat pumps
Air source heat pumps across Carlton Hill and nearby, from a site survey or diagnosis to sign-off and a fixed price agreed before any work starts.
- Finding a place for the outdoor unit
- Comparing heat pump types
- Questions about listed buildings or conservation areas
Air source heat pumps for homes and businesses in Carlton Hill
A £2,500 grant is available for some air-to-air heat pumps, with conditions. The system must replace the existing fossil-fuel heating and meet the home’s full heating demand, it must be installed by an MCS certified installer, and it must be in a home, so an add-on next to a boiler is not eligible. The work covers underfloor heating, air-to-air heat pumps and radiator systems, and the jobs we see most are moving away from fossil-fuel heating and ageing boilers that will need replacing.
If your home near Carlton Hill has no mains gas, the grant can be bigger. Until March 2027, homes on oil or LPG without mains gas can get an extra £1,500 through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, for an air source or ground source heat pump.
Refrigerant work is written up in the F-Gas records: what was done, the refrigerant type and any amount added or recovered. Keep the records with the manual and the warranty documents, as a manufacturer or a future engineer may ask to see them.
- Location
- Carlton Hill (BN2, BN1, BN50)
- Region
- Brighton and Hove
- Quotes
- A fixed-price quote up front
- Credentials
- F-Gas certified company, NICEIC approved, MCS
- Typical price
- Air-to-water £8,000–£16,000 before any grant (0% VAT for homes)
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
Heat pumps in Carlton Hill: local notes
Carlton Hill lies within about 1 mile of the sea. Near the coast, we choose the outdoor unit position with salt-laden wind in mind. VOA council tax data put about 62% of homes in and around Carlton Hill before 1919, and about 68% of households live in flats, according to the 2021 Census. In older homes, the heat loss calculation is especially important, as solid walls and draughts change the size of heat pump needed. In flats, space for an outdoor unit and a cylinder can be limited, and the lease and freeholder come into it, so air-to-air is sometimes the better fit.
Historic houses such as Royal Pavilion, about 0.3 miles west, are a reminder that listed homes need consent before a heat pump goes in.
Carlton Hill is about 1 mile south of Brighton, in Brighton and Hove. Properties in Carlton Hill get the same service as everywhere we cover: a look at the job first, a fixed-price quote and written records at the end. Across Brighton and Hove, we cover 30 places, and Carlton Hill is one of them.
Our nearest recent job to Carlton Hill was on New Road, Brighton (BN1), about 1 mile north: installing individual wall-mounted Panasonic units in all 22 guest rooms, plus two cassette units in the restaurant and a dedicated unit for the server room at basement level.
Whether you are on New Road, North Road and Brills Lane or a nearby road, our engineers can take on the work. Among the places we cover in Brighton and Hove, Carlton Hill is one of the largest. Other places close to Carlton Hill include Hanover (1 mile north), Brighton (1 mile north), West Hill (1 mile north-west), Kemptown (1 mile south-east) and Seven Dials (1 mile north-west). Further out, we also cover Brighton and Hove (3 miles west), Aldrington (3 miles west), Hangleton (3 miles north-west) and Patcham (3 miles north).
Local landmarks in Carlton Hill
Typical jobs here are in properties near Devonshire Arms, Queen's Park and Academy of Creative Training, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Brighton station, about 0.5 miles north-west. Nearby you’ll also find Sussex Eye Hospital (0.7 miles south-east) and Churchill Square (0.6 miles west). The countryside around Carlton Hill includes Whitehawk Hill and Newmarket Hill.
Other services in Carlton Hill
Common problems we fix in Carlton Hill
An ageing boiler is often the moment people start thinking about a heat pump. Planning the change before the boiler fails gives you time to survey, design and apply for any grant instead of making a rushed decision when the heating stops.
Look out for these signs:
- Plans to switch to electric heating with a heat pump
- Working out where a cylinder could go
- Working out whether radiators need upsizing
Period properties close to Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity can suit a heat pump, though insulation and any heritage protection are checked first.
Before booking anyone
- Whether the electrical work is done by a registered contractor, such as NICEIC approved
- Whether the company is F-Gas certified, and whether you can check it
- Why the equipment they’re quoting suits the job
What we do, step by step
If the system has to be off for part of the visit, we tell you before any work starts so it does not catch you out. For businesses, we can normally work room by room or zone by zone. The work takes from a couple of days to around a week, depending on the system and how much of the heating changes. Photos of the room and the outside wall help us plan a job near Carlton Hill.
- First we talk through the property and the current system.
- A heat loss survey is carried out, room by room.
- 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.
- We install, commission and register the system under MCS.
Getting ready for the visit
- Unlock any gate, garage or side passage we need
- Mention any managing agent or landlord rules we need to follow
- Clear the space around the indoor unit, or where it will go
Getting a quote
To get a fixed-price quote, give us a ring on 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details about the rooms or units involved. A few pictures make it quicker. You’ll hear back from us the same working day.
Advice
Landlords, agents and facilities managers
Where a tenant occupies the property but the landlord owns the system, the lease or tenancy agreement normally sets out who maintains what. We’re happy to deal with either side and send the records to whoever needs them.
The F-gas rules share responsibility for leak checking between the equipment’s operator and the service technicians. In a let or managed building, it’s worth agreeing who that operator is and we’re happy to deal with whoever it is.
Questions from Carlton Hill
Do I need planning permission for a heat pump in Carlton Hill?
That depends on the building and where the outdoor unit goes. The Carlton Hill Conservation Area takes in the middle of Carlton Hill. 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 the planning department at Brighton and Hove council, typically the authority for Carlton Hill.
Will you come out to Carlton Hill?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Send a few details and photos, and we reply the same working day.
Can I get a grant for an air-to-air heat pump?
Only in limited cases, with a grant of £2,500. The system must replace the existing fossil-fuel heating, meet the home’s full heating demand, be installed by an MCS certified installer and be in a home.
What does F-Gas certified mean?
Anyone installing, repairing or servicing the refrigerant side must be qualified, and their company certified. Ask to see proof before booking anyone, and we’re happy to show ours.
What warranty do I get?
Warranty is the manufacturer’s own, on its terms. Terms differ by brand, and we set them out on your quote.
Can I fit air conditioning or a heat pump myself?
No, not the refrigerant side. Under the F-gas rules, it must be done by qualified engineers from a certified company, and a new circuit is notifiable under Part P unless a registered electrician, such as a NICEIC approved contractor, does it.
Do you offer maintenance contracts?
Yes. Tell us what you have and how it’s used and we will propose a schedule and quote for it. Leak checks required by the F-gas rules can be built in for larger systems.
Why it’s worth doing now in Carlton Hill
Permitted development rules can change, and conditions vary between properties. We look at the planning position early, so there are no surprises covering listed buildings, conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. An early booking makes the visit to Carlton Hill easier to arrange.
Homes, offices, shops and public buildings are all priced the same way: the equipment, the access, the work involved and the time it takes. Ask for a fixed-price quote and we’ll go through it with you.
Why choose AirCon Doctor in Carlton Hill
- Enquiries answered the same working day
- A fixed price before any work starts
- We diagnose before we treat
- MCS certified heat pump installers
Take a look at what air conditioning costs or our accreditations.
From one of our customers
“Office air con broke down in the July heatwave. Called at 8am, engineer was here by noon and fixed within 2 hours. Brilliant emergency response. They now hold the service contract for the whole building.”
James T., Crawley, office manager