East Sussex · Heat pump installation
Heat pump installation in St Leonards, East Sussex
Expert air source heat pumps for St Leonards: a survey or diagnosis, a fixed price, careful work and proper paperwork. Call for a fixed-price quote.
- Replacing a combi boiler with a heat pump
- Working out whether radiators need upsizing
- Questions about listed buildings or conservation areas
Air source heat pumps in St Leonards
Air-to-water heat pumps heat your hot water through a cylinder. If you have a combi boiler and no cylinder, the survey looks at where one could go. With air-to-air, hot water has to come from something else. Typical jobs include working out where a cylinder could go and not knowing whether a grant applies, on underfloor heating, air-to-air heat pumps and homes heated by oil, LPG or gas.
Older homes in a town like St Leonards can still suit a heat pump, sometimes with larger radiators or more insulation. The heat loss calculation shows what’s needed.
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. Keep it with the system’s paperwork, because it helps with any later warranty question.
- Where
- St Leonards (TN38, TN37, TN34)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Typical price
- Air-to-water £8,000–£16,000 before any grant (0% VAT for homes)
- Pricing
- Fixed, in writing
- Accreditations
- NICEIC approved, F-Gas certified, MCS
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 30 October 2026
How the job changes from property to property
VAT on heat pumps
This is general information, not tax advice.
Outdoor unit position and planning
Flats and blocks of flats have different limits, and Article 4 directions can remove rights. Listed buildings also need separate consent, and we check the position for your property.
Nearby places to St Leonards
More services for St Leonards
What we do, step by step
We keep the work area tidy as we go, with sheets down and mess cleared as we go. If we need to drill through a wall, we agree the spot with you first. On site, it takes a few days on site, depending on the cylinder, the radiators and the pipework involved. The more we can see first, the quicker the visit to St Leonards.
- First, a chat about the property and your goals for the heating.
- A survey covers heat loss, radiators, hot water and where the outdoor unit could sit.
- You get our view on the right type for the house, and on whether the Boiler Upgrade Scheme applies.
- The system is installed and connected to the controls.
- We commission it, complete the MCS certificate and show you how to use it.
Getting ready for the visit
- Make sure someone can let us in at the agreed time
- Keep pets out of the rooms we are working in
- Tell us about access, such as roof hatches, high walls or locked plant areas
Get a fixed-price quote
VAT is set out clearly on every quote, and the rate that applies to your job is stated. Homes, businesses and different kinds of work can be treated differently for VAT, so we confirm it in writing rather than guess. To get one, call us on 07833 053749 or write to us at info@aircondoctor.co.uk.
Related advice
Aftercare tips
Aftercare is straightforward, and it makes the next visit easier:
- Use the settings explained at handover
- Leave indoor units unobstructed
- Check eligibility for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme early
Handover includes the controls and how to get the best from a heat pump. Heat pumps tend to work best running steadily rather than in short bursts, and we’ll explain the settings for your home.
Keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves, plants and stored items. Airflow is what it runs on so keep it unobstructed.
When to call us in St Leonards
Many people look at heat pumps when an oil, LPG or gas boiler is getting old. 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.
Common reasons people call us are:
- Working out whether radiators need upsizing
- Deciding on the outdoor unit position
- Comparing heat pump types
Homeowners near St Leonards Warrior Square station often ask whether a heat pump can take over from the boiler, and the heat loss survey answers that.
Comparing quotes
- How VAT is shown, and which rate applies
- What’s in the price and what is not
- Whether the quote is a fixed price
Air source heat pumps in St Leonards: the local picture
St Leonards lies within about 1 mile of the sea. Near the coast, we choose the outdoor unit position with salt-laden wind in mind. About 57% of homes in St Leonards and the neighbourhoods around it were built before 1919, according to Valuation Office Agency council tax records, and about 57% of households live in flats, according to the 2021 Census. Older homes can lose heat faster, so a room-by-room heat loss calculation, and sometimes insulation or larger radiators, comes before sizing a heat pump. Flats are often harder for air-to-water systems, so we look at whether air-to-air suits better.
Period properties close to St John the Evangelist's Church can suit a heat pump, though insulation and any heritage protection are checked first.
St Leonards is about 1 mile south-west of Hastings, in East Sussex. Homes and businesses alike in St Leonards, our engineers can help with air source heat pumps. You will hear back from us the same working day, and there’s a 24/7 emergency line. Count every place we list in East Sussex and you reach 289, with St Leonards on the list. Eastbourne is in our area too, about 13 miles from St Leonards.
Not far from St Leonards, a recent job of ours was on Old London Road, Hastings (TN35), about 1 mile north-east: installing three Samsung cassette units in the main co-working hall and a wall-mounted unit in the meeting room.
As one of the bigger places in East Sussex, St Leonards has homes and businesses of every kind, all within our area. If you need air source heat pumps at a property on Sea Road, Fern Road and Dane Road or a nearby road, we can help. Places around St Leonards that are also on our list: Silverhill (1 mile north), Hastings (1 mile north-east), America Ground (1 mile east), Bulverhythe (1 mile west) and Hollington (1 mile north). We also work in nearby towns such as Eastbourne (13 miles south-west), Bexhill-on-Sea (4 miles west), Hailsham (13 miles west) and Polegate (13 miles west).
Landmarks near St Leonards
Typical jobs here are in properties near University School, Horse And Groom Public House and Summerfields Wood, among other places. There’s a railway station in St Leonards itself: St Leonards Warrior Square station. Well-known places in the area include Priory Meadow Shopping Centre (1.2 miles east) and Conquest Hospital (2.2 miles north). For a walk, there’s Church Wood and Robsack Wood and Senlac Hill.
St Leonards questions
Can I fit a heat pump in St Leonards without planning permission?
The answer turns on the property and where the outdoor unit would sit. The Markwick Terrace, St Leonards Conservation Area takes in the middle of St Leonards. 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 Hastings council, usually the authority for St Leonards.
Is the coast a problem for outdoor units in St Leonards?
It can. St Leonards is within about 1 mile of the coast, and salt air speeds up corrosion on outdoor units. The outdoor unit position, its fixings and regular servicing all help near the sea.
Why use an F-Gas certified company?
F-Gas certification shows a company is approved to work on equipment containing fluorinated gases, such as the refrigerant in air conditioning and heat pumps. In Great Britain, that certification is a legal requirement, not an optional extra, and AirCon Doctor is certified.
Whose job is it to check the system for leaks?
Whoever operates the equipment, together with the technicians who service it. 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 can tell you which band your system falls into.
Which brands do you work with?
Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin, Fujitsu, Panasonic, Toshiba, LG, Samsung, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Hitachi and others. For a new system, we suggest the make and model that suit the property and tell you why.
Do you offer maintenance contracts?
Yes. Maintenance contracts are part of what we do, set at the interval the system and the manufacturer’s terms need. Each visit is recorded and F-Gas records kept where they apply.
Are you F-Gas certified?
We’re an F-Gas certified company, with NICEIC approval for electrical work and MCS certification for heat pumps. We are members of Checkatrade too.
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