Air Source Heat Pump Installation Dorset
Thatch, Purbeck stone and planning rules handled properly
We install air source heat pumps across Dorset for homeowners leaving oil, LPG, gas or electric heating behind. Our MCS certified engineers measure up every room, design around your house, and apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant so it comes off your quote.
Air source heat pump installation in Dorset
Air source heat pump installation in Dorset covers the county from the estates around Dorchester to the stone villages either side of the A35. Many of those villages are conservation areas, and under permitted development an outdoor unit there can't go on a wall or roof facing the road, or anywhere nearer the road than the house. If you live in a village like Cerne Abbas, that usually means the back garden or a side wall set well back. Check whether your street is covered on the council's conservation areas page. In the golden stone streets of Sherborne, listed buildings need consent wherever the unit goes, and the Georgian centre of Blandford Forum calls for the same care.
We fit heat pumps from Bridport and Beaminster across to Wareham, Swanage and Shaftesbury.
- Dorchester
- Weymouth
- Bridport
- Beaminster
- Lyme Regis
- Sherborne
- Sturminster Newton
- Shaftesbury
- Gillingham
- Blandford Forum
- Wimborne Minster
- Ferndown
- Wareham
- Swanage
- Corfe Castle
- Cerne Abbas
- Poole
- Christchurch
What we fit most from the downs to the coast
Purbeck stone cottages
Stone cottages around Corfe Castle and Langton Matravers have thick walls, small windows and often small radiators. We size new radiators for low flow temperatures, which usually means larger panels in some rooms. With the right design, these homes stay warm and steady.
Downland farmhouses on oil
Farmhouses on the chalk north of Dorchester often run a big oil boiler and a large tank. A heat pump can replace both, and if there's land to spare, a ground source system may be worth pricing too. We look at the radiators, the hot water and the electric supply.
Gas homes making the switch
Not every customer is off grid. Owners of 1970s to 90s houses near Wimborne and Ferndown are swapping gas combis for heat pumps too. The grant applies to them as well, and the main question is where to fit a cylinder in a house that's never needed one.
What happens between the survey and switch-on
After the survey we work out the heat loss room by room, size the heat pump, check the radiators and run the noise calculation for the nearest neighbour. Then you get a fixed quote with the grant shown. Once you accept, we apply for the grant and notify the electricity network operator.
On fitting days we install the outdoor unit, the cylinder, the controls and any new radiators, then fill, test and commission the system. You'll be shown how to use it. A heat pump works best left running at a steady low temperature, with weather compensation adjusting it as the outside temperature changes. Expect the radiators to feel warm rather than hot. That's normal, and the rooms still reach temperature because the heat runs for longer.
A yearly service keeps the coil clean and the refrigerant circuit and controls in good order. Our page on heat pump servicing explains what we check.
Why choose Wisp for air source heat pump installation in Dorset
Thatched roofs, no roof units
Permitted development never covers a unit on a pitched roof anyway. On thatched cottages around Cerne Abbas we keep the outdoor unit at ground level, well clear of the eaves.
Off-grid homes get more
Government estimates for 2024 put more than one in five homes in the council area off the gas grid. If yours runs on oil or LPG, the grant is £9,000 until March 2027.
Big houses, honest numbers
Large period homes near Sherborne or Blandford can need big units and new radiators. We show you the heat loss figures so you can see why.
Noise checked before we fit
Every unit has to pass the MCS 020(a) sound calculation against the nearest neighbouring window. In tight village plots that shapes the position as much as the planning rules do.
How air source heat pump installation in Dorset works
Tell us about your home
Start with the quote tool.
Survey and design
We measure every room and design the system to your heat loss.
Grant and quote
You get a fixed quote and we help with the grant paperwork.
Install and handover
We fit, commission and show you how to run it efficiently.
What is included
- Room-by-room heat loss calculation
- System design and sizing
- Outdoor unit, cylinder and controls fitted
- Radiator upgrades where needed
- Commissioning and MCS certificate
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme application support
Air Source Heat Pump Installation Dorset FAQs
Can I have a heat pump on a thatched cottage?
Yes. Many thatched homes run well on heat pumps, especially once draughts are dealt with. The unit goes at ground level, and if the cottage is listed you'll need consent first. We'd look at the radiators carefully, since old cottages often have small ones.
How long does planning take in a conservation area?
If the unit sits at the back and meets the permitted development rules, there's no application at all. If it needs permission or listed building consent, the council sets the timescale. We'll tell you which route applies at the survey.
What will it cost?
Government data put the typical air source installation at about £12,800 in mid-2026 before the grant. Your price depends on the house. Our heat pump cost page breaks it down, and we give a fixed quote after survey.
I'm near Poole or Bournemouth. Do you cover the towns too?
Yes, we fit heat pumps in the towns as well as the villages. If you're on mains gas and thinking about a new boiler instead, our boiler installation page is the place to look.
Do I have to run a heat pump differently from my old boiler?
A little. A heat pump is most efficient left on at a steady temperature rather than switched on and off in bursts. Weather compensation adjusts the output as the weather changes, and hot water is heated on a schedule. We set it up and show you how to tweak it.
Air source heat pump installation in your area
- Air source heat pump installation Cornwall
- Air source heat pump installation Devon
- Air source heat pump installation Somerset
Air source heat pump installation across Dorset
For expert air source heat pump installation in Dorset
A few questions about your home, then a free survey and one fixed price.