Medway · Heat pump installation
Air Source Heat Pumps in Upper Upnor
Air source heat pumps for Upper Upnor, from F-Gas certified engineers, with warranty terms explained brand by brand. We reply to enquiries the same working day.
- Ageing boilers that will need replacing
- Working out whether radiators need upsizing
- Questions about listed buildings or conservation areas
Air source heat pumps in Upper Upnor, done properly
An air-to-water heat pump heats water to a lower temperature than a typical boiler, so radiators may need to be larger to give out the same heat. The survey shows which rooms are fine and which need changes and anything that needs changing is in the quote. Typical jobs include wanting to stop using oil, LPG or gas for heating and working out whether radiators need upsizing, across air-to-air heat pumps, hot water cylinders and air-to-water heat pumps.
For a home around Upper Upnor that’s off mains gas and heated by oil or LPG, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme adds an extra £1,500 until March 2027 for an air source or ground source heat pump.
Any work on the refrigerant circuit is recorded: the work carried out, the refrigerant involved and the quantities. File them with the system’s paperwork, as a manufacturer or a future engineer may ask to see them.
- Location
- Upper Upnor (ME2)
- Wider area
- Medway
- Approvals
- F-Gas certified company, NICEIC approved, MCS
- Quote
- Fixed, in writing
- Price guide
- £8,000–£16,000 (0% VAT on homes), before the grant
- Response
- We reply the same working day
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Checked
- 30 October 2026
Air source heat pumps around Upper Upnor
Upper Upnor is within about 2 miles of the coast. Salt air is hard on outdoor units, so a heat pump near the sea needs a sensible position and regular checks, and some models offer corrosion protection for coastal sites. The Upnor Conservation Area lies close to the centre of Upper Upnor, within about a third of a mile. In the mile around Upper Upnor’s centre, 5 conservation areas have been designated. Listed buildings are part of the picture here: about 16 within half a mile of the centre, such as Walsall House (grade II). So the heat pump survey asks two extra questions here: is the home listed, and is it inside a conservation area? The Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures show about 31% of homes across Upper Upnor and its surrounding area were built in 2000 or later, and the last census (2021) found about 66% of households in detached or semi-detached houses. Lower heat loss in recent homes often means a smaller heat pump and fewer radiator changes. Finding room for the outdoor unit and a cylinder is seldom a problem in homes like these.
Restoration House, roughly 1.6 miles south-west, is a reminder to check your home’s listing status: permitted development does not cover listed buildings. If your home is one of the older properties near St Philip & St James, the survey checks whether it’s listed or in a conservation area before the outdoor unit position is chosen.
Upper Upnor is about 2 miles north-east of Rochester, in Medway. Homes and businesses alike in Upper Upnor, 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. Upper Upnor is one of 68 places in Medway we cover. Bromley is in our area too, about 22 miles from Upper Upnor.
Local streets include High Street, Upnor Road and Castle Street, all of which are in our area. Our engineers cover all of the ME2 postcode area and the roads nearby. Places around Upper Upnor that are also on our list: Lower Upnor (1 mile north-east), Wainscott (1 mile north-west), Chattenden (1 mile north), Hoo St Werburgh (2 miles north-east) and Cooling Street (3 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Gillingham (3 miles south-east), Chatham (3 miles south), Rainham (5 miles south-east) and Luton (3 miles south).
Around Upper Upnor
In Upper Upnor, that means homes and buildings near The Kings Arms, Lower Lines Park and Waterfront University Technical College and the streets around them. Nearby too are Former Ordnance Store At Chatham Gun Wharf (1.4 miles south) and Waterfront UTC (1.3 miles south-east). The closest station to Upper Upnor is Strood station, about 1.2 miles south-west. Nearby you’ll also find French Hospital (1.5 miles south-west) and Pentagon Shopping Centre (1.6 miles south). For a walk, there’s Gad's Hill and Rede Common.
Also near Upper Upnor
Other services in Upper Upnor
Different systems, different jobs
Air-to-water heat pumps
The price for air-to-water is £8,000–£16,000 (0% VAT on homes), before the grant. A £7,500 grant may be available through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for eligible homes and the installer applies.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers England and Wales: £7,500 for air-to-water and ground source, and £2,500 for air-to-air in limited cases. The installer applies.
What we do, step by step
Refrigerant work is done by qualified engineers working for an F-Gas certified company, while the electrical side is covered by our NICEIC approval. On the day, both are in the same hands. The work 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. Rural lanes and tight entrances are worth mentioning before a visit to Upper Upnor.
- Step one is understanding the house, how it’s heated today and what you’d like to change.
- On the visit we calculate what every room loses on a cold day, then check the radiators, room for a cylinder and outdoor unit options.
- We send a fixed-price quote that shows the equipment, the grant position and the VAT.
- Installation covers the outdoor unit, the indoor connections and the controls.
- Once it’s running correctly, the MCS certificate is issued and we show you the settings.
How to prepare
- Move furniture away from the wall where we’ll be working
- Tell us about access, such as roof hatches, high walls or locked plant areas
- Make sure we can reach the consumer unit or fuse board
Ask for a quote
To help us quote: the address and the type of property, photos of the rooms or units, the brand and model of anything already fitted and any symptoms, from error codes to drips. Then give us a ring on 07833 053749.
Read more
Before you call an engineer
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. For a heat pump, the main owner jobs are a clear outdoor unit and sensible control settings.
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.
What affects the cost of air source heat pumps
Typical ranges are on our prices page, but every job is priced on its own. The quote depends on:
- What electrical work the job needs
- The pipe route between the units
- The number of rooms, units or zones
Putting the work off seldom saves money. Faults and wear in a system tend to grow, and a system working harder than it should costs more to run. If you are not sure what’s needed, call 07833 053749 or write to us at info@aircondoctor.co.uk for straight advice and a fixed price.
Before you get in touch
What to send for a quote:
- The remote or wall controller showing any error
- Where the outdoor unit is, or where you’d like it
- Where the property is and what kind of building it is
The quickest way to a quote is to send photos: 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.
FAQs for Upper Upnor
Does being near the sea make a difference to air source heat pumps in Upper Upnor?
It can, as Upper Upnor is within about 2 miles of the sea, where salt in the air is hard on coils and fixings. 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.
Does the Boiler Upgrade Scheme cover homes in Upper Upnor?
Yes, the scheme covers homes in England, including Upper Upnor, if they qualify. Whether your home qualifies, and for how much, depends on the type of heat pump and the heating it replaces. You don’t apply yourself: the MCS certified installer does, which is us.
Do you cover Upper Upnor?
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 Upper Upnor.
Do I need planning permission for a heat pump?
In England, many air source heat pumps on houses can be permitted development, if the conditions are met. The outdoor unit must be 1.5 m³ or less, comply with MCS 020(a), not be cooling-only and not be within a listed building’s curtilage.
Do you provide F-Gas records?
Yes, on every job. New installations come with commissioning details, F-Gas records and warranty information, while repairs and services get a written note of what was found and done.
How soon will you get back to me?
The same working day. Then we agree a date that works for you, and you get a fixed price before any work goes ahead.
Can I do any of the installation myself?
No, not the refrigerant side. The F-gas rules require certified companies and qualified engineers for it, and a new circuit is notifiable under Part P unless a registered electrician, such as a NICEIC approved contractor, does it.
What a customer said
“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