Updated 7 October 2026
What will a home energy upgrade really cost, and save?
Plain-English guides with real UK numbers: heat pump prices, running costs against gas, solar payback, the current price cap and the grants you can claim. Every figure is linked to its source and dated.
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Heat pumpsHeat pump vs gas boiler: running costs at October 2026 pricesAt today’s price cap a heat pump needs an efficiency of about 3 to beat gas. The full numbers.
Heat pumpsHow much does a heat pump cost in the UK in 2026?About £13,000 before the grant, around £5,500 after it. What drives the price and how to check a quote.
GrantsBoiler Upgrade Scheme 2026: who qualifies and how to claim£7,500 off a heat pump (£9,000 for oil and LPG homes). Who qualifies and how the grant reaches you.Run your own numbers
Put in your gas usage and tariff and see what a heat pump would cost to run, and the efficiency it needs to beat your boiler. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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Grants£9,000 heat pump grant for oil and LPG homes: who qualifies£9,000 off a heat pump until March 2027. For many homes it now costs less than a new oil boiler.
Heat pumpsDo heat pumps work in cold weather? What the UK trial foundThey kept working down to −6°C in the UK’s biggest trial. What a cold snap does to efficiency and bills.
Heat pumpsWill a heat pump work in an old house?No home was too old in the UK’s biggest trial. What Victorian and 1930s homes need first.
Solar panelsHow much do solar panels cost in the UK in 2026?About £7,600 for a typical system, paying back in 9 to 12 years depending on where you live.
Solar panelsSmart Export Guarantee rates 2026: who pays most for your solarExport rates range from 2p to 20p per kWh. Every major tariff and its conditions.
Heat pumpsHow to choose a heat pump installer: 12 questions to askThe questions that separate a good design from a guess, plus a table to compare quotes.Bills and deadlines
Energy billsEnergy price cap explained: what £1,723 means for your billThe October–December 2026 rates, how to work out your own bill, and what January may bring.
Grants0% VAT on heat pumps, solar and insulation ends on 31 March 2027From 1 April 2027 the rate goes from 0% to 5%. What that adds to a typical quote.
CalculatorsHeat pump running cost calculatorCompare a heat pump with your gas boiler using your own usage and tariff.Why trust these numbers
- Sourced. Prices, grants and tariffs come from Ofgem, GOV.UK, HMRC and named research, linked where we use them.
- Dated. Every page shows when its numbers were last checked. Energy figures change every quarter and we update them.
- Independent. We don’t sell heat pumps, solar panels or energy tariffs. How we make money.