Heat pump installers in Sunderland
UKEM installs air source heat pumps across Sunderland, Washington and Houghton-le-Spring. We are MCS certified, based on Crown Road in Sunderland, and we apply for the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant for you.
Get my heat pump quoteCan a heat pump heat an older Sunderland house?
Heat loss matters more than house type
A lot of Sunderland housing is terraces and semis with modest yards. A heat pump can work in these homes.
What decides it is how fast the house loses heat and how big the radiators are. That is why an engineer surveys every home before we order anything.
Insulation first, then the heat pump
The local homes in our install list followed the same plan: insulation topped up where it was missing, a heat pump for the heating and solar panels to help run it.
Our guide on whether your home suits a heat pump walks through the checks.
Heat pump grant and rules for Sunderland homes
- Grant
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme, £7,500 for most homes in England and Wales
- Source: Ofgem
- Who can claim it
- An MCS-certified installer, on your behalf
- Source: Ofgem
- Planning
- Most air source heat pumps are permitted development
- Source: Planning Portal
- Network
- Northern Powergrid is told about every install
- Source: Energy Networks Association
Sunderland area homes now heated by a heat pump
Three homes nearby that moved from older heating to a heat pump we fitted.
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Home
Pallion, Sunderland
- Air source heat pump
- Solar panels
- Cavity wall and loft insulation
Installed March 2025 -
Home
Easington Colliery
- Air source heat pump
- Solar panels
Installed December 2024 -
Home
Bournmoor, near Houghton-le-Spring
- Air source heat pump
- Solar panels
- Cavity wall and loft insulation
Installed July 2023
Samsung, Vaillant, Ideal and Trianco
We match the brand and size to your home after the heat-loss survey, not before.
Manufacturer warranties run from 2 to 7 years depending on the brand, and we register them for you.
Heat pump or a new gas boiler?
| Compare | Air source heat pump | Gas boiler |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | Electricity, which solar panels can supply | Mains gas |
| Grant | £7,500 for most homes through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme | None for a like-for-like swap |
| Outside | An outdoor unit on a small base | A flue on the wall |
| Hot water | Stored in a cylinder | On demand from a combi, or stored |
| Fit time | 2 to 4 days | 1 day |
Not sure which way to go? Our heat pump survey tells you whether your home is ready.
Outdoor units, up close
From survey to a warm house
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Price online
See a starting price, from around £4,000 after the grant, in the quote app.
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Home survey
An engineer measures every room and works out the heat loss.
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Grant applied for
We apply to Ofgem and take the grant off your price up front.
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Installation
The outdoor unit, cylinder and any larger radiators go in over 2 to 4 days.
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Controls set up
We set the controls with you and explain how to get the best from the system.
What do you get with a heat pump from UKEM?
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Samsung, Vaillant, Ideal and Trianco
Air source heat pumps sized to your home, with manufacturer warranties of 2 to 7 years depending on the brand.
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A survey before anything is ordered
An engineer visits, measures up and runs a room-by-room heat-loss calculation, so the unit and radiators are matched to your home.
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Grant application done for you
We apply to Ofgem for the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant and take it off the price up front, so there is nothing to claim back.
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Guarantees after the install
A 2-year workmanship warranty, plus a 6-year insurance-backed MCS guarantee. Most installs take 2 to 4 days.
Heat pumps start from around £4,000 after the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant. Get a price online, then we survey your home and confirm it.
Heat pumps in Sunderland: your questions
Can I get the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in Sunderland?
Yes. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers England and Wales and pays £7,500 towards an air source heat pump for most homes. As your MCS-certified installer we apply to Ofgem and take the grant off your price up front.
Will a heat pump work in a Sunderland terrace?
In many cases, yes. It depends on the heat loss of the house, not the type of house. Our survey includes a room-by-room heat-loss calculation, which shows whether any radiators need to be larger.
Where does the outdoor unit go if I only have a small yard?
The unit sits on a small base against an outside wall, with clear space in front for airflow. A back yard or the side of the house is usually enough. We agree the position with you at the survey.
Should I get solar panels with a heat pump?
You do not have to, but they work well together: the panels make some of the electricity the heat pump uses. All three local homes in our install list have both.
What do heat pump customers say about UKEM?
Verified reviews from customers who had their home energy systems installed by our engineers.
1,644 reviews on Trustpilot Heat pump installs across Wearside and beyond
- Sunderland
- Washington
- Houghton-le-Spring
- Bournmoor
- Easington Colliery
Also in Sunderland: solar panels, boilers.
Heat pump guides worth reading
- News VAT comes off electricity this winter: what it means for your home From 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 there is no VAT on household electricity in England, Scotland and Wales. Gas, oil and LPG keep their 5%. What it changes for heat pumps, EVs, solar and electric heating. Read more
- News Heat pump grant applications stay near record in August About 7,500 households applied for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in August 2026, its second-best month, and a record 3,238 air-to-water vouchers were paid out. Read more
- News October energy price cap rises 4% as VAT comes off electricity Ofgem's cap rises 4% to £1,723 from 1 October. Gas is up 8.7% while VAT-free electricity holds broadly flat, and that gap matters. Read more