Greater London · Heat pump installation
Orpington air source heat pumps
Expert air source heat pumps for Orpington: diagnosis first, then a fixed-price quote, the work and written records. Ask us for a fixed-price quote.
- Choosing between air-to-water and air-to-air
- Plans to switch to electric heating with a heat pump
- Not knowing whether a grant applies
How we handle air source heat pumps in Orpington
Every installation starts with a heat loss survey. It shows how much heat each room needs on a cold day so the system is sized to match. Sizing by rule of thumb isn’t good enough. If the problem is wanting to stop using oil, LPG or gas for heating and deciding on the outdoor unit position, we can sort it out.
In a flat in Orpington, the lease and the freeholder usually decide where a heat pump can go. The planning rules for flats are stricter than for houses, so we check the position before we design.
Some warranty terms depend on the system being serviced regularly by a qualified engineer. Where yours does, a regular service with us keeps that side in order, and every service is written up.
- Place
- Orpington (BR5, BR6, BR7, DA14)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Quotes
- Fixed, in writing
- Certified
- F-Gas certified, NICEIC approved, MCS
- Prices
- £8,000–£16,000 before the grant, 0% VAT on homes
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
Orpington questions
Is planning permission needed for a heat pump in Orpington?
It depends on the property. There’s a conservation area, the Priory, Orpington Conservation Area, close to central Orpington. A heat pump on a house can be permitted development if it meets the conditions, including the MCS noise check, but not within the grounds of a listed building, and in a conservation area the outdoor unit can’t face a road. Where necessary, we check with the local planning authority (for Orpington, normally Bromley council).
Can you fit air conditioning in a London flat in Orpington?
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.
Am I eligible for a heat pump grant?
We confirm eligibility at the survey stage. There’s one grant per property, you can’t get one to replace a low-carbon system, and hybrids are excluded, among other rules.
Does the grant cover air-to-air heat pumps?
Yes, but only where it becomes the home’s main heating. The £2,500 applies when it replaces the fossil-fuel heating, covers the full heating demand, is fitted by an MCS certified installer and serves a home. Fitted alongside a boiler, it will not qualify.
How long does a heat pump installation take?
Expect it to take anything from a couple of days for air-to-air to the best part of a week for air-to-water with radiator changes. How much of the heating changes decides most of the time, and we confirm the timing with your quote.
What accreditations do you have?
F-Gas certified, NICEIC approved and MCS certified for heat pumps, plus Checkatrade membership. Engineers who handle refrigerant hold their own F-gas qualifications as well.
Who is responsible for leak checks?
The operator of the equipment, working with qualified engineers. Systems below 5 tCO2e fall outside the set leak check intervals, while larger ones need checks at least every 12 months, or every 6 months from 50 tCO2e. We will work out which band applies to yours.
What we do, step by step
Refrigerant work is done by qualified engineers working for an F-Gas certified company, and electrical work is done by us as NICEIC approved contractors. So on the day, you do not need a separate electrician for the electrical side. The work takes several days for an air-to-water system with a new cylinder, less for an air-to-air system. Some blocks in Orpington need contractor details in advance, so tell us what your building needs.
- First we talk through the property and the current system.
- A heat loss survey is carried out, room by room.
- The design covers the heat pump, emitters, hot water and outdoor unit.
- Cost, grant and VAT appear on one fixed-price quote.
- Then it’s fitted, commissioned and registered with MCS.
Getting ready for the visit
- Make sure we can reach the outdoor unit, or where it will go
- Keep pets and children away from the work area
- Have the make and model of any existing unit to hand
Ask for a quote
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, you get a fixed price before any work is booked.
Read more
Heat pumps in Orpington: local notes
About 39% of homes in the Orpington area were built between the wars, according to VOA council tax data, and about 64% of households live in detached or semi-detached houses, according to the last census (2021). Homes of that age often have cavity walls that may or may not be insulated, which the survey checks. Houses typically have space for an outdoor unit and a hot water cylinder. For a London home, the outdoor unit position and the MCS noise check need careful planning.
If your home is one of the older properties near St Andrew's, the survey checks whether it’s listed or in a conservation area before the outdoor unit position is chosen. If your home is listed, like Bromley Palace about 3.8 miles west, listed building consent comes before any heat pump work.
Orpington is about 12 miles south-east of London, in Greater London. Homes and businesses alike in Orpington, our engineers can help with air source heat pumps. We reply to enquiries the same working day and our emergency line runs 24/7. We cover 764 places across Greater London, from busy centres to quieter spots.
One of our recent jobs in Orpington was on Station Road (BR6): installing three Daikin cassette units in the main office area and a wall-mounted unit in the client meeting room.
Postcode districts we cover here: BR5, BR6, BR7 and DA14. High Street, Furzehill Square and Station Road and the roads off them are all inside our area. If you’re just outside Orpington, we cover Poverest (1 mile north), Derry Downs (1 mile east), St Mary Cray (1 mile north), St Paul's Cray (1 mile north) and Goddington (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover London (12 miles north-west), City of Westminster (14 miles north-west), Marylebone (14 miles north-west) and Kensington (15 miles north-west).
What’s near Orpington
In Orpington, that means homes and buildings near The Priory School, Jubilee Country Park and Harris Academy Orpington and the streets around them. The closest station to Orpington is St Mary Cray station, about 0.7 miles north of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Lullingstone Castle (4.4 miles south-east) and Orpington Hospital (1.5 miles south). Open spaces near Orpington include The Warren and Summer Hill.
What happens if it’s left?
If the emitters can’t give out enough heat, some rooms won’t get warm enough. The survey picks this up before installation. Hot weather is when everyone in London wants air conditioning, so it’s easier to plan the work in Orpington early.
The cost depends on the type of system and how many units are involved, the access and what the work involves. You get a fixed price before any work starts, so you know where you stand.
Why choose AirCon Doctor in Orpington
- We work on all the leading brands
- F-Gas company certification
- MCS certified for heat pumps
- NICEIC approved for electrical work
Take a look at how installs are priced or our accreditations and certificates.
Also near Orpington
What else we do in Orpington
Aftercare tips
Simple habits make a real difference. Our advice:
- Keep radiators clear
- Find out the grant position at the survey
- Clear leaves and debris from the outdoor unit
Handover includes the controls and how to get the best from a heat pump. Steady running suits a heat pump better than switching on and off, and we will explain the settings for your home.
Don’t cover radiators with furniture or heavy curtains so the heat can get into the room.
Honest limits
We will not sell you work that does not address the problem, so these are the things it won’t cover:
- Draught-proofing and insulation upgrades
- Tax rulings, which only HMRC can give
- Planning approval where permitted development doesn’t apply
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us a line and we will say what we think.
Where we work
- Underfloor heating
- Hot water cylinders
- Air-to-air heat pumps
- Homes heated by oil, LPG or gas
- Radiator systems
- Air-to-water heat pumps
A customer’s words
“Very professional from the initial survey through to installation. The engineer explained everything clearly and the quote was exactly what we paid. Would not hesitate to recommend AirCon Doctor.”
David W., Haywards Heath