Kent · Heat pump installation
Tonbridge air source heat pumps
Expert air source heat pumps for Tonbridge: a survey or diagnosis, a fixed price, careful work and proper paperwork. Call for a fixed-price quote.
- Moving away from fossil-fuel heating
- Planning and permitted development questions
- No space for a hot water cylinder
About our air source heat pumps in Tonbridge
Installing an air source heat pump in a home is zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027, then 5%. That follows HMRC Notice 708/6, and it does not apply to businesses. For air-to-air systems, we confirm the VAT on your quote. Please treat this as general information rather than tax advice. The work covers air-to-air heat pumps, radiator systems and underfloor heating, and common reasons people get in touch are ageing boilers that will need replacing and moving away from fossil-fuel heating.
Most homes around Tonbridge have space for the outdoor unit, and it needs to meet the MCS noise check to be permitted development.
Warranty on the equipment is the manufacturer’s own, on the manufacturer’s terms, and we set them out on your quote. Each brand sets its own conditions, and we’re happy to talk you through them.
- Where
- Tonbridge (TN9, TN10, TN11)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Response
- On the working day you ask
- Pricing
- Fixed after a survey or photos
- Costs
- £8,000–£16,000 before the grant, 0% VAT on homes
- Accreditations
- F-Gas certified, NICEIC approved, MCS
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
How the visit works
Our engineers arrive at the time agreed with you and run through the plan before anything else. Floors and furniture near the work are covered with dust sheets, and anything electrical is made safe before work starts. The work itself 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. In a town like Tonbridge, parking is usually straightforward, so the main questions are access and timing.
- It begins with your house and the heating it relies on now.
- We measure heat loss for every room.
- From those figures we size the heat pump and decide on radiators, cylinder and outdoor position.
- Cost, grant and VAT appear on one fixed-price quote.
- Then it’s fitted, commissioned and registered with MCS.
How to prepare
- Let us know where the consumer unit is
- Make sure we can reach the outdoor unit, or where it will go
- Clear a path to the units and the space around them
Getting a price
Our prices page gives typical ranges, but your quote is based on your job, because every property is different. Once we have looked at the job, from pictures or on a survey, you get a fixed price. To get going, ring us on 07833 053749 or use the quote form.
Advice
Air source heat pumps in Tonbridge: the local picture
The centre of Tonbridge lies within the Tonbridge Conservation Area. 2 conservation areas lie within a mile of central Tonbridge. On the National Heritage List, around 89 entries fall within 0.5 miles of the middle of Tonbridge; Ye Olde Chequers Inn (grade II*) is one. That affects heat pumps: listed buildings need consent, and conservation areas limit where the outdoor unit can go under permitted development. Where necessary, we check with the planning team at Tonbridge and Malling council, which normally handles Tonbridge. About 35% of homes across Tonbridge and its surrounding area have been built since 2000, according to the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures. Newer homes normally lose less heat, which tends to suit a heat pump well.
For a home near Tonbridge station, the survey looks at whether an air-to-water or air-to-air heat pump suits better. Period properties close to Church of St Peter and St Paul can suit a heat pump, though insulation and any heritage protection are checked first.
Tonbridge is about 12 miles south-west of Maidstone, in Kent. Whatever kind of property you have in Tonbridge, our engineers can help with air source heat pumps. You’ll hear back from us the same working day, and there’s a 24/7 emergency line. Count every place we list in Kent and you reach 922, with Tonbridge on the list. East Grinstead, roughly 13 miles off, has its own page on this site.
Our nearest recent job to Tonbridge was on Beacon Road, Crowborough (TN6), about 11 miles south-west: installing a Mitsubishi Electric multi-split system serving four bedrooms and a large home office.
If you need air source heat pumps at a property on High Street, Old London Road and London Road or a nearby road, our engineers can take on the work. Being close to the A26 and A227, Tonbridge is simple for us to get to for visits of every kind. Other places close to Tonbridge include Lower Haysden (2 miles south-west), Leigh (3 miles west), Bidborough (3 miles south-west), Southborough (3 miles south) and Printstile (3 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (12 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (7 miles north-west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (4 miles south) and Swanley (14 miles north).
Near you in Tonbridge
Typical jobs here are in properties near Haysden Country Park, Royal Rise Primary School and Hillview School for Girls. The closest station to Tonbridge is Tonbridge station, about 0.6 miles south-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include The Milne Museum (less than half a mile west) and Tonbridge Castle (within half a mile south-west). The countryside around Tonbridge includes Tudeley Woods RSPB reserve and Barden Lake.
Before you call an engineer
There are a few things you can safely do yourself: keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves, plants and clutter, check the settings and the remote, and follow the cleaning the manual describes. Opening up the units, the electrics and the refrigerant circuit are a job for us.
On air conditioning, the filters in the indoor unit are normally the one part owners can clean where the manufacturer’s manual explains how. They come out, get a gentle clean and go back only when they’re dry. On a heat pump, the equivalent is keeping the outdoor unit clear and checking the controls.
Pricing air source heat pumps in Tonbridge
The diagnosis comes before the price. We look at:
- Whether it’s a one-off job or part of a maintenance contract
- Whether the existing supply is suitable
- Whether it’s a simple split or a larger system
The price reflects the work, not guesswork. That’s why every job is looked at first, and why the quote is fixed before work begins.
Helping us quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote. When you get in touch, it helps to send:
- The make and model of the system, from the label
- The remote or wall controller showing any error
- The postcode and whether it’s a home, flat or business
Photos are the fastest route to a quote: the room or the existing unit, the outside wall or roof where the outdoor unit sits or would go, and the label on any existing unit. Add the address and what you’d like done, and simple jobs can often be priced without a visit.
Questions from Tonbridge
Does the Boiler Upgrade Scheme cover homes in Tonbridge?
Tonbridge is in England, where the Boiler Upgrade Scheme runs. For an air-to-water heat pump the amount is £7,500; an air-to-air system can get £2,500 if it replaces the fossil-fuel heating outright, meets the home’s full heating demand and isn’t an add-on to a boiler. The installer applies, and we are MCS certified.
Is Tonbridge in your area for air source heat pumps?
Yes, Tonbridge is within the area we cover. Tell us a little about the job and we will take it from there.
Can I do the refrigerant work myself?
Not the refrigerant work. The F-gas rules require certified companies and qualified engineers for it, and a new electrical circuit is notifiable building work unless a registered competent person does it.
Are my radiators big enough for a heat pump?
It depends on each radiator and the room it heats. Heat pumps run at lower flow temperatures, so radiators give out less heat, and the survey checks each one.
Do you work for landlords and businesses?
Yes. Homeowners, landlords, agents and businesses all book us across London and the South East. Let us know who the records should go to.
Is a heat pump permitted development?
Often not in England, as many heat pumps on houses are permitted development provided the conditions are met. These include an outdoor unit of no more than 1.5 m³, compliance with MCS 020(a), not being used solely for cooling and not being within the curtilage of a listed building.
How long does a heat pump installation take?
The work takes from a couple of days to around a week, depending on the system and how much of the heating changes. We confirm the timing after the survey, and you can call 07833 053749 or write to us at info@aircondoctor.co.uk to book it.
After we have gone
Looking after the system is mostly common sense. A few tips:
- Do not block radiators or indoor units with furniture
- Ask about the grant before you commit
- Keep the MCS certificate with the manufacturer’s paperwork
Where we applied for a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, we keep you informed through the process, as the installer applies for it.
Book a service every year. Your manufacturer’s warranty terms may say something about servicing.
Also near Tonbridge
Also in Tonbridge
What a customer said
“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