Reading · Heat pump installation
Air Source Heat Pumps in Sonning
MCS certified installation of air source heat pumps for heating and hot water, with the boiler upgrade scheme grant applied for, for Sonning and the surrounding area. Ask us for a fixed-price quote, and we’ll reply the same working day.
- Working out whether radiators need upsizing
- Replacing a combi boiler with a heat pump
- Moving away from fossil-fuel heating
Air source heat pumps in Sonning
For an air-to-water heat pump, the price is £8,000–£16,000 (0% VAT on homes), before the grant. In England and Wales, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers a £7,500 grant towards an eligible air-to-water installation and the installer makes the application. Not every home qualifies, so we check eligibility before you commit. If the problem is choosing between air-to-water and air-to-air and questions about where the outdoor unit can go, we can help.
In a place like Sonning, some homes are listed, because permitted development doesn’t apply within the grounds of a listed building, so we check consent first.
Think of the paperwork as the system’s health record: what was fitted or found, what was done and when. It makes the next visit quicker and any warranty question simpler, so keep it safe.
- Location
- Sonning (RG4)
- Wider area
- Reading
- Typical price
- £8,000–£16,000 before the grant, 0% VAT on homes
- Certified
- F-Gas certified company, NICEIC approved, MCS
- Price
- Fixed-price quote after a site survey
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
What we are called out for in Sonning
A common reason is wanting to stop burning gas, oil or LPG. A heat pump runs on electricity and takes heat from the outside air and that’s the appeal for many households.
Common reasons people call us include:
- Wanting to stop using oil, LPG or gas for heating
- Comparing heat pump types
- Checking whether planning permission is needed
Period properties close to St Andrew's Church can suit a heat pump, though insulation and any heritage protection are checked first.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether a new circuit is included and who certifies it
- Whether the manufacturer’s warranty depends on regular servicing
- Whether the quote shows VAT clearly
Nearby places to Sonning
More services for Sonning
Homes in Sonning and heat pumps
The Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures date about 53% of homes in and around Sonning to the post-war years, 1945 to 1972, and Census 2021 figures found about 78% of households in detached or semi-detached houses. Whether the walls and loft have been insulated makes a real difference to the heat pump size for homes of that period. Detached and semi-detached houses normally have room for the outdoor unit and a cylinder.
Every heat pump design starts with a room-by-room heat loss calculation.
Sonning is about 1 mile north-west of Woodley, in Reading. Properties in Sonning 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 Reading, we cover 34 places, Sonning among them. There’s also a page for Guildford, roughly 21 miles from Sonning.
Our nearest recent job to Sonning was on Princess Way, Camberley (GU15), about 12 miles south-east: installing a Samsung VRF system serving twelve rooms across two floors, including open-plan working areas, individual offices, a server room and a boardroom.
We cover every part of the RG4 postcode area for air source heat pumps and the roads nearby. Main roads around Sonning include the B478 and B4446, so getting to you is simple. Neighbouring places we cover include Play Hatch (1 mile north-west), Dunsden Green (2 miles north-west), Newtown (2 miles south-west), Caversham Park Village (2 miles north-west) and Littlestead Green (2 miles north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Caversham (3 miles west), Norcot (5 miles west), West Reading (4 miles west) and Tilehurst Within (5 miles west).
Around Sonning
In Sonning, that means homes and buildings near Ali's Pond Local Nature Reserve, Bull Inn and Waingels College, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Twyford station, roughly 1.9 miles east. Nearby you will also find Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre Museum (2.5 miles south-west) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (2.6 miles south-west). The countryside around Sonning includes Sonning Hill and South Lake.
What the work involves, system by system
Outdoor unit position and planning
Under permitted development, the outdoor unit must be 1.5 m³ or less and must meet MCS 020(a) and not be used solely for cooling. It can’t be within the curtilage of a listed building.
Radiators and underfloor heating
At lower water temperatures, radiators give out less heat, and the survey checks each one.
What we do, step by step
Protection comes first: dust sheets over floors and furniture near the work and nothing is moved without asking you. Then the electrics are made safe and the work begins. 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, and we clear up before we go. Seeing the property in pictures first means the trip to Sonning can be planned properly.
- We find out about your home and the heating you have now.
- We measure heat loss for every 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.
How to prepare
- Clear the space around the indoor unit, or where it will go
- Let us know if the units are on a roof, a high wall or in a locked area
- Keep pets and children away from the work area
How to get a quote
Photos are the fastest route to a quote: the inside and outside of the property where the work is, plus the rating plate of any unit already there. Tell us the address and what you need, and simple jobs can often be priced without a visit.
Read more
Common questions in Sonning
Is Sonning within the area you cover?
Yes, and the size of the place makes no difference to how we work. Send a few details and pictures, and we reply the same working day.
Is planning permission needed for a heat pump in Sonning?
The answer turns on the property and where the outdoor unit would sit. Central Sonning sits inside a conservation area. 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 Wokingham council, normally the authority for Sonning.
Will my radiators work with a heat pump?
Some radiators may be fine as they are, and some may need to be larger. Heat pumps run at lower flow temperatures, so radiators give out less heat so we check every radiator against the room’s heat loss.
Are you F-Gas certified?
We hold F-Gas company certification, which the law requires for any business working on refrigerant. NICEIC approval, MCS certification for heat pumps and Checkatrade membership sit alongside it.
Will my home qualify for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
That depends on the scheme conditions, which we check for you. The installer applies for the grant, so we handle the application if you are eligible.
How do you keep the place clean during the work?
We start with protection: dust sheets over floors and anything close to the work. Any drilling is agreed with you first, and we clear up the dust and offcuts before we leave.
Is there a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant for air-to-air?
Only in limited cases, with a grant of £2,500. It has to replace the fossil-fuel heating, meet the full heating demand, be fitted by an MCS certified installer, and be in a home.
Let and managed properties
Landlords, letting agents and managing agents book us, not only the people who live or work in the property. Tell us who the contact on site is and who should receive the paperwork and we will copy in whoever needs it.
Larger air conditioning systems in buildings need more than servicing: systems with an effective rated output over 12 kW need a TM44 inspection by an accredited energy assessor at least every 5 years. We arrange the inspection, get the system ready and put right anything it picks up.
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