Southampton · Heat pump installation
Heat pump installation in Shirley, Southampton
MCS certified installation of air source heat pumps for heating and hot water, with the boiler upgrade scheme grant applied for, for Shirley and the surrounding area. Ask us for a fixed-price quote, and we’ll reply the same working day.
- Checking whether planning permission is needed
- Plans to switch to electric heating with a heat pump
- Radiators that may be too small for a heat pump
Looking after it afterwards
Here’s the after-treatment advice, in brief:
- Read the manufacturer’s warranty terms for your brand
- Ask about the grant before you commit
- Leave indoor units unobstructed
After commissioning, the installation is registered under MCS and you receive the certificate. File it with the warranty documents, as you may need it later.
A well-insulated home helps a heat pump, as lower heat loss means the system has less to do.
Air source heat pumps for homes and businesses in Shirley
Heat pumps run at lower flow temperatures than most boilers, so radiators may need to be larger to give out the same heat. We check each radiator against the room’s heat loss, and the quote sets it out. Typical jobs include questions about where the outdoor unit can go and questions about listed buildings or conservation areas, on hot water cylinders, air-to-water heat pumps and radiator systems.
Homes around Shirley normally have space for an outdoor unit and a hot water cylinder, so the main questions are heat loss, radiators and the electrics.
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
- Shirley (SO15, SO16, SO17)
- Wider area
- Southampton
- Quotes
- A fixed-price quote up front
- Accreditations
- NICEIC approved, F-Gas certified, MCS
- Response
- Same working day
- Typical price
- £8,000–£16,000 (0% VAT on homes), before the grant
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
Do you need air source heat pumps in Shirley?
Some homes heated by electric heaters or storage heaters consider a heat pump instead. The survey tells you whether it’s practical and what’s involved, and we explain the grant position for your home.
What we are most often called about:
- Replacing a combi boiler with a heat pump
- Questions about listed buildings or conservation areas
- Choosing between air-to-water and air-to-air
Southampton Tudor House and Garden lies about 1.9 miles south-east. Owners of listed homes need consent before a heat pump is fitted, so it’s one of our first questions.
Before you book anyone
- Whether the price is fixed or an estimate
- Whether you get F-Gas records where refrigerant is involved
- Which VAT rate the quote uses, and why
Nearby places to Shirley
Other services in Shirley
Heat pumps in Shirley: local notes
Shirley is within about 1 mile of the coast. Coastal sites are worth mentioning at the survey, as salt air affects the outdoor unit and its fixings.
Live in one of the older houses around Shirley Parish Church? Expect the survey to look closely at heat loss and at the building’s planning status.
Shirley is about 2 miles west of Southampton, in Southampton. Properties in Shirley 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 Southampton, we cover 40 places, and Shirley is one of them. Guildford is in our area too, about 44 miles from Shirley.
From May Road, Dyer Road and York Road to the smaller roads in between, the whole area is covered. Shirley is among the bigger places we cover in Southampton. We also cover the places around Shirley: Regents Park (1 mile west), Freemantle (1 mile south), Millbrook (1 mile south-west), Coxford (1 mile north-west) and Maybush (1 mile north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Townhill Park (3 miles east), Midanbury (3 miles east), Thornhill (4 miles east) and Chartwell Green (4 miles east).
Near you in Shirley
Around Shirley, our work takes us to homes and businesses near The Crown Public House, St James' Park and Regents Park Community College and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Millbrook (Hants) station, roughly 0.7 miles south. Other landmarks nearby include Netley Castle (4.4 miles south-east) and Foresters Museum & Archive (1 mile south-east). Green spaces nearby include Testwood Lakes.
FAQs for Shirley
Is planning permission needed for a heat pump in Shirley?
That depends on the building and where the outdoor unit goes. There’s a conservation area, the St James Road Conservation Area, close to central Shirley. 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 Southampton council, normally the authority for Shirley.
Is the coast a problem for outdoor units in Shirley?
It can. Shirley is within about 1 mile of the coast, and salt air speeds up corrosion on outdoor units. We site outdoor units out of the worst of the sea wind where possible and can suggest models with corrosion protection where the manufacturer offers it.
Do you cover Shirley?
Yes. We work across Greater London, Surrey, Kent, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex, and that includes Shirley.
Do you offer emergency call-outs?
Yes, day and night. Call the emergency line and tell us the make, the symptoms and any error code, and we will advise on what to do next.
How long does a heat pump installation take?
As a guide, it takes from a couple of days to around a week, depending on the system and how much of the heating changes. The programme is planned to keep time without heating short, and we explain it in advance.
Am I eligible for a heat pump grant?
Not every home qualifies, so we check. Only one grant is available per property, it cannot replace a low-carbon system, and hybrids don’t qualify, among other rules.
Can you set up regular servicing?
Yes. Maintenance contracts are part of what we do, set at the interval the system and the manufacturer’s terms need. Each visit is written up and F-Gas records kept where they apply.
What happens on the day
Refrigerant work is done by qualified engineers working for an F-Gas certified company, while the electrical side is covered by our NICEIC approval. So on the day, you do not need a separate electrician for the electrical side. On site, it takes from a couple of days to around a week, depending on the system and how much of the heating changes. Photos of the existing unit and its label help with repairs and servicing near Shirley.
- You tell us about the home and what you want from a heat pump.
- We survey for heat loss and look at radiators, cylinder space and outdoor unit options.
- We recommend air-to-water or air-to-air and check the grant position.
- The system is installed and connected to the controls.
- The job ends with commissioning, the MCS certificate and a walk through the controls.
Before we arrive
- Mention any managing agent or landlord rules we need to follow
- Keep pets out of the rooms we are working in
- Make sure we can reach the outdoor unit, or where it will go
How to get a quote
Some jobs can be priced from pictures, while others need a survey. 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.
Related advice
Honest limits
We’d rather tell you now than sell you work that will not help, so these are the things it won’t cover:
- Planning approval where permitted development doesn’t apply
- Grants for hybrid systems or replacements of low-carbon systems
- Tax advice on your own circumstances
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or fill in the contact form and we’ll say what we think before booking.
What the work covers
- Underfloor heating
- Hot water cylinders
- Air-to-water heat pumps
- Radiator systems
- Air-to-air heat pumps
- Homes heated by oil, LPG or gas
A customer’s words
“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