FAQs
Heat Pumps
Do heat pumps work in a Yorkshire winter? Yes, and I say that having fitted plenty that have been through several Yorkshire winters without a hitch. Heat pumps pull heat from the outside air even when it is below freezing, which is why they are standard across Scandinavia where the winters make ours look mild. Recent UK cold-snap data found heat pump owners reported their homes staying just as warm as gas boiler homes, sometimes warmer. The thing that matters is that the system is designed and sized properly for your home. Done right, a heat pump will keep an old Yorkshire house warm through the coldest snap.
How much does an air source heat pump cost in 2026? A fully installed air source heat pump usually costs somewhere between £8,000 and £14,000 before any grant. The government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off that for most homes, so many people end up paying between roughly £500 and £6,500. If you are off the gas grid on oil or LPG, the grant rises to £9,000 between 21st July 2026 and 31st March 2027. We apply for the grant on your behalf and take it straight off your quote, so there is no paperwork for you.
How much will a heat pump save me on running costs? It depends on what you are replacing and your electricity tariff, so I will be honest rather than promise a magic number. A typical three-bed home spends in the region of £900 a year running a well-designed heat pump at standard rates, and a lot less on a heat-pump-friendly tariff. If you are coming off oil or LPG, the savings are usually bigger because those fuels are expensive. The real saving comes from a system that is designed properly for your house, which is the part we take seriously. A fully installed air source heat pump usually costs somewhere between £8,000 and £14,000 before any grant. The government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off that for most homes, so many people end up paying between roughly £500 and £6,500. If you are off the gas grid on oil or LPG, the grant rises to £9,000 between 21st July 2026 and 31st March 2027. We apply for the grant on your behalf and take it straight off your quote, so there is no paperwork for you.
Will I need to replace all my radiators for a heat pump? Usually not all of them. A heat pump heats water to a lower temperature than a gas boiler, around 35 to 55 degrees rather than 70, so some radiators need to be a bit larger to give out the same warmth. Before any work, we do a room-by-room heat-loss survey and only recommend changing the radiators that actually need it. Often it is just one or two rooms, not the whole house. We keep disruption to a minimum and leave your home tidy.
Will a heat pump work in my older or less insulated home? Yes. It is a common myth that you need a modern, perfectly insulated house. Heat pumps work in homes of all ages and types, the system simply has to be designed for your property. Better insulation always helps, because it lowers how much heat your home needs in the first place, so we may suggest a few sensible improvements. But an older Yorkshire property is not a barrier, it just needs doing properly.
What is the cheapest way to heat a rural or off-grid home? If you are off the mains gas grid and heating with oil or LPG, a heat pump is usually the cheapest long-term option, because oil and LPG are among the priciest fuels to run. Rural and detached homes are often where a heat pump makes the biggest difference. With the £9,000 off-grid grant available until March 2027, there has rarely been a better time for an oil or LPG home to make the switch. Happy to talk you through the numbers for your specific property.
How disruptive is a heat pump installation? Less than most people fear. A typical install takes a few days. There is some pipework and a bit of mess, as with any heating job, but a good installer plans it properly, keeps you informed at every step and leaves your home clean. As one of our customers put it, the installation was painless and the team were professional and tidy. That is the standard we work to on every job.
Air Conditioning
How much does home air conditioning cost in Yorkshire? A single-room wall unit is roughly £1,500 to £3,000 fitted. A multi-split system covering three or four rooms from one outdoor unit is roughly £3,500 to £7,000. A ducted whole-home system runs from around £6,000 to £15,000. The exact figure depends on how many rooms you want cooled, your home's layout and any electrical work needed. We will always give you an honest quote after seeing the property.
How much does air conditioning cost to run? Less than most people expect with a modern inverter unit. At 2026 electricity prices, a bedroom unit costs roughly 10p to 20p an hour once the room is cool, a living room unit around 20p to 30p an hour. Running a bedroom unit through a hot night usually costs a pound or two. Inverter technology eases the power up and down to hold the temperature, which keeps the cost and the noise down.
Can air conditioning heat my home as well as cool it? Yes. A modern air conditioning unit is really an air-to-air heat pump. It cools in summer and heats in the cooler months, and in heating mode it gives out around three to four units of heat for every unit of electricity it uses. That makes it much cheaper than a plug-in electric heater for warming a single room, so a lot of our customers end up using it through autumn and spring too. It is year-round comfort, not a three-week-a-year luxury.
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning? For most Yorkshire houses, no. A standard domestic install usually falls under permitted development, as long as the outdoor unit is a sensible size and positioned tidily. The exceptions are flats, listed buildings and homes in conservation areas, which have tighter rules. We always check your specific property before quoting so there are no surprises.
What size air conditioning unit do I need? As a rough rule, you need about 0.1 kW of cooling for every square metre of floor space. A small bedroom usually needs a 2.0 to 2.5 kW unit, a living room around 3.5 to 5.0 kW, and an open-plan space more. Older or single-glazed rooms need a bit more, and kitchens need extra again. Getting the size right matters: too small and it struggles, too big and it runs inefficiently. We work this out properly for each room rather than guessing.
Why does using an F-Gas certified installer matter? Air conditioning systems use refrigerant, and by law that must be handled by an F-Gas certified engineer. Using a certified installer protects your safety, keeps your manufacturer's warranty valid and makes sure the job is done to standard. A cheap install from someone who is not certified can cost you far more in the long run. Busy Energy is fully F-Gas certified.
About Busy Energy
Are you accredited? Yes. We are MCS certified (the official standard for renewable heating installers and a requirement for the government grant), an Octopus Energy Trusted Partner and Cosy Accredited Installer, F-Gas certified for air conditioning and refrigerant work, TrustMark registered and CIPHE members. The accreditations matter because they are independent proof that the work is done to a high standard, not just our word for it.
Where do you cover? We are based in Selby and cover Yorkshire and the surrounding area, including York, Leeds, Harrogate, Wetherby, Goole, Pontefract and the many villages in between, plus rural off-grid homes across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and North Norfolk. Because we are local, you get ongoing support from real people who know your system, not a national call centre.
Will I get pushed into something I do not need? No. That is not how we work. If a heat pump is not right for you yet, or a cheaper fix will do, or you are better off waiting, I will tell you. We would rather give you honest advice and earn your trust than push a sale. As one customer said after we sorted a heating system other firms had failed to fix, the only word he could use was "legend", and that came from being straight with him and doing the job properly. Read the full review on Google.
How do I get a quote? The easiest way is to try our free online estimator for a rough idea, or email us at hello@busyenergy.co.uk or call 01977 332479 for a no-pressure quote. We will talk you through your options in plain English, in your own time. No hard sell, ever.