West Berkshire · Heat pump installation
Silchester air source heat pumps
One call covers MCS certified installation of air source heat pumps for heating and hot water, with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant applied for in Silchester: diagnosis, fixed price, work and sign-off. F-Gas certified, NICEIC approved and Checkatrade members.
- Finding a place for the outdoor unit
- Checking eligibility for a heat pump grant
- Radiators that may be too small for a heat pump
Questions from Silchester
Is planning permission needed for a heat pump in Silchester?
It depends on the property. There’s a conservation area, the Silchester Conservation Area, close to central Silchester. On a house, an air source heat pump can often go ahead under permitted development, with an outdoor unit of no more than 1.5 cubic metres and an installation that meets MCS 020(a), which includes a noise check. Those rights do not reach the grounds of a listed building, and conservation areas rule out walls or roofs facing a road. If that might affect you, we ask the planning department at Basingstoke and Deane council, typically the authority for Silchester.
Is the heat pump grant available in Silchester?
Yes, the scheme covers homes in England, including Silchester, if they qualify. The grant is £7,500 for an air source (air-to-water) heat pump and £2,500 for an air-to-air system that replaces the existing fossil-fuel heating. You do not apply yourself: the MCS certified installer does, which is us.
Will you work on another installer’s system?
Yes. We start with a proper look and tell you honestly what we find, including anything about the original installation that needs putting right. Any work is priced before it goes ahead.
Why use an F-Gas certified company?
For refrigerant work, both the engineer and the company need the right F-gas credentials. It’s worth checking before you book and we’ll gladly show you ours.
What’s the price of a heat pump installation?
For air-to-water, it’s £8,000–£16,000 (0% VAT on homes) before any Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant. Air-to-air prices are set after a survey, and we confirm the VAT on the quote.
Do you protect the property while you work?
We start with protection: sheets over the floor and nearby furniture. Any drilling is agreed with you first, and we clear up the dust and offcuts when we finish.
Do you have a 24/7 line?
Yes, 24/7. Call the emergency line and tell us the make, the symptoms and any error code, and we’ll talk you through the next steps.
About our air source heat pumps in Silchester
Air source heat pumps collect heat from outdoor air and bring it inside, using electricity to drive the process. It works on the same principle as air conditioning, run the other way and the Energy Saving Trust notes that air-to-air heat pumps are sometimes referred to as air conditioning. We are often asked to deal with ageing boilers that will need replacing and working out whether radiators need upsizing, across radiator systems, underfloor heating and homes heated by oil, LPG or gas.
Space for an outdoor unit is rarely an issue near Silchester, so the design focuses on heat loss and radiators.
Nothing is signed off by word of mouth: commissioning details for an installation, a fault and repair note for a repair, or a record of the service. File it with the manual so it’s to hand next time.
- Location
- Silchester (RG7)
- Region
- West Berkshire
- Accreditations
- NICEIC and F-Gas, MCS
- Costs
- Air-to-water £8,000–£16,000 before any grant (0% VAT for homes)
- Price
- Fixed, in writing
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
The process
Testing is the last part of the visit wherever the system can be switched on. Then we show you what we have done and answer any questions, and anything that needs a follow-up is pointed out there and then. The visit 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. Seeing the property in pictures first means the trip to Silchester can be planned properly.
- First we talk through the property and the current system.
- 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.
- A fixed-price quote explains the cost, the grant position and the VAT.
- We install, commission and register the system under MCS.
Getting ready for the visit
- Unlock any gate, garage or side passage we need
- Tell us about any building rules, permits or sign-in
- Have the make and model of any existing unit to hand
Getting a quote
Getting a quote is straightforward. Call or email with a few details and we will come back to you the same working day. Where a survey is needed, we arrange a time that suits you.
Read more
Do you need air source heat pumps in Silchester?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has made people ask whether their home could qualify. Whether you can get the grant depends on your home and the scheme conditions, so we check before you commit.
Most people get in touch when they notice something like this:
- Radiators that may be too small for a heat pump
- An oil, LPG or gas boiler near the end of its life
- Checking eligibility for a heat pump grant
Older homes near Saint Luke's Church may need extra checks for planning and heat loss before a heat pump is designed.
What to look for in a quote
- Proof of F-Gas company certification
- Who does the electrical work, and whether they can certify it
- What paperwork you’ll receive afterwards
Towns and villages near Silchester
What else we do in Silchester
Owner checks or an engineer?
Keep a note of anything odd: an error code, a new noise, a drip, a smell or a change in how well the system heats or cools. It makes our diagnosis quicker, and a photo or a short video of the display is even better.
For air conditioning, cleaning the indoor unit’s filters is the main job owners can do where the manufacturer’s manual explains how. With the power off, they lift out, can be vacuumed or rinsed and must be fully dry before they go back. On a heat pump, the equivalent is keeping the outdoor unit clear and checking the controls.
How the job changes from property to property
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Eligibility depends on the property and the scheme rules, so we check before you commit.
Hot water cylinders
An air-to-water heat pump heats hot water through a cylinder. Space for the cylinder is part of the survey particularly in homes with a combi boiler.
Air source heat pumps around Silchester
About 74% of households live in detached or semi-detached houses, according to Census 2021 figures. Detached and semi-detached houses typically have room for the outdoor unit and a cylinder.
Historic houses such as The Vyne, about 3.3 miles south, are a reminder that listed homes need consent before a heat pump goes in.
Silchester is about 2 miles east of Tadley, in West Berkshire. If you need air source heat pumps in Silchester, please give us a ring on 07833 053749 or drop us a line for a fixed-price quote. We work across London and the South East, including Silchester. 155 places in West Berkshire are on our list. Guildford, roughly 24 miles off, has its own page on this site.
Our working area takes in RG7 in full. Our engineers work on Little London Road, Romans Field and Dukes Ride and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover include Pamber Heath (1 mile north-west), Aldermaston Soke (1 mile north-west), Old Warren (2 miles north-west), Little London (2 miles south) and Pamber Green (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Newbury (10 miles west), Thatcham (8 miles north-west), Burghfield Common (4 miles north-east) and Speenhamland (10 miles west).
What’s near Silchester
Locally, jobs take us to houses, flats and workplaces close to Padworth Common Local Nature Reserve, among other places. The closest station to Silchester is Bramley (Hants) station, about 2.4 miles south-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital (5.1 miles south) and Calleva Museum (under half a mile north-east). Green spaces nearby include Hosehill Lake.
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