Nesta, the research and innovation foundation, published an updated version of its heat pump cost estimator on 30 June 2025. The tool estimates the cost of installing a domestic air source heat pump, and the new version was developed using user research, data science techniques and software engineering expertise, according to the organisation1.
The estimator was first created in 2022 as an experimental tool using data from the MCS database alongside property details from domestic EPC records1. Nesta says the new version improves usability, relevance and accuracy, can be integrated with partners' own web pages and tools, and supports a better understanding of users' intended next steps1. A standalone version offers comprehensive functionality, while an integrated version demonstrating how the core functionality can be tailored to partners' requirements appears on the Get a Heat Pump website1.
The figures the tool produces are estimates drawn from what people in similar properties have paid, not quotes. Nesta states that the models behind the estimates were trained and evaluated using a dataset of UK heat pump installations registered with MCS, accessed through the MCS Installations database, combined with domestic EPC data from England, Wales and Scotland1. The organisation notes that the tool cannot access any information beyond what users enter, and that factors including required upgrades to radiators, piping or electrical systems may not be fully accounted for1.
"This means the range of costs provided are not quotes, but guidelines to help estimate retrofit budget and start a conversation with an installer"
Nesta says the MCS database holds information on every installation that has received a government grant1. It adds that even with government subsidies such as the current Boiler Upgrade Scheme, an air source heat pump is an expensive purchase, and that its consumer research showed many householders are discouraged and stop exploring heat pump adoption without cost information up front1. No specific cost figures, grant amounts or installation numbers are given in the announcement.
Why it matters for households
Working out what a heat pump would cost is the first question most households ask, and the answer depends on the property: radiator sizes, pipework and electrical capacity all move the price. A tool that compares a home with similar properties that have already had a heat pump fitted gives a householder a starting range before contacting an installer, rather than a single national average. Because the estimates come from installations registered with MCS, they reflect what people have actually paid, including work carried out under grant schemes. The limits matter too: the estimate is not a quote, and the tool only knows what the user types in, so a home needing new radiators or an electrical upgrade may cost more than the range shown. For a household weighing up how much a heat pump costs in the UK, or what the figure looks like after subsidy under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, an estimate of this kind is a budgeting aid rather than a commitment. Households considering a hybrid setup, where a heat pump works alongside an existing gas boiler, sit outside the scope of an air source installation estimate; the site's guide to whether a hybrid heat pump and gas boiler can keep a home as warm as a gas boiler alone covers that comparison. Air-to-air systems are also treated differently under grant rules, as explained in the guide to why air-to-air heat pumps do not get the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.
What happens next
Nesta invites information providers to get in touch to discuss integrating the tool with their own web pages and tools, or to share feedback1. No dates for further updates have been reported.
Sources1 cited
- A calculator to estimate the cost of a heat pump | Nesta, nesta.org.uk