What it should cost, and what it should not
Upgrade prices are quoted, not listed. Two firms can look at the same house in the same week and differ by thousands. This is where the real spread will live, once the quote data behind it is in.
Prices for your property type and region, not a national average.
A range, not a number
Real quotes for the same job vary by thousands. A single figure hides that.
Priced to your property
Bands by house type, age and construction, not a national average.
Grant already deducted
What you pay after support, not the headline before it.
From quotes, not brochures
What people were charged, not what the list price says.
Upgrade by upgrade
What each job costs to fit
Typical installed prices for a three-bedroom home. Each guide breaks the figure down by property type and shows what a grant takes off it.
Heat pumps
Installed cost
£11,128–£15,627
The middle half of Boiler Upgrade Scheme air source jobs, quarter from Apr 2026
EPC method, heat pump£5,000–£30,000
Full breakdownBoilers
Installed cost
£1,800–£3,500
Combi replaced in the same position, 3-bed home
EPC method, condensing boiler£2,200–£3,500
Full breakdownHeating controls
Typical spend
£0–£400
From a free setting change to a fitted smart thermostat
EPC method, heating controls£220–£250
Full breakdownSolar panels
Installed cost
£8,000–£10,000
What the EPC method allows for panels, the same for every home — not a quote
Full breakdownHome batteries
Installed cost
£3,500–£8,000
Around 5–10 kWh usable, including the inverter and fitting
EPC method, battery£500–£5,000
Full breakdownEV chargers
Installed cost
£800–£1,400
7kW unit, straightforward installation
Full breakdownInsulation
Loft top-up
£400–£900
Bringing an accessible loft to current depth
EPC method, cavity wall insulation£900–£1,500
Full breakdownWindows & doors
Whole-house double glazing
£6,000–£15,000
uPVC, typical 3-bed home
EPC method, double glazing£4,500–£6,000
Full breakdown
Illustrative. A headline price without a note under it is a placeholder until the quote data arrives.
The EPC method's figure is real: the indicative range the energy certificate method puts on that measure, from certificates lodged in the year to 9 September 2026. It is the same for every home, so it is a guide rather than a quote.
The spread
Why two quotes for one job differ so much
Almost never because one firm is greedy. Usually because they have priced two different pieces of work and called them the same thing.
The size of the problem
Heat loss, roof area and window count set the scale of the job before anyone quotes for it. A solid-wall Victorian terrace and a 2005 townhouse are different jobs with the same name.
What is already there
Pipework that has to be upsized, a consumer unit at capacity, a roof that needs work first. The condition of what you have often costs more than the thing you are buying.
Access and scaffolding
A three-storey terrace with no side access carries costs a bungalow never sees. Scaffolding is one of the most common reasons two quotes for the same work differ.
Where you live
Labour rates, travel time and how many certified firms compete for the work. Islands and remote rural postcodes carry a real premium, and some schemes recognise it.
What gets specified
Panel and unit choice, cylinder size, glazing spec. The tier matters, but rarely as much as the design and the quality of the fit.
Grants and VAT
A grant claimed by the installer comes off the quote before you see it, and qualifying measures are zero-rated for VAT. Both change the comparison between two prices.
Before you sign
Eight things a quote has to tell you
Work through this with each quote in front of you. Anything missing is a question, not a dealbreaker — but you want the answer in writing before the deposit.
- Every line itemised, not one number for the whole job
- VAT shown, and zero-rated where the measure qualifies
- The certification number, not just a logo in the footer
- What is excluded: scaffolding, making good, electrical upgrades
- For heating work, the heat loss calculation and design flow temperature
- The payment schedule, and how big the deposit is
- The workmanship warranty, and who honours it if the firm closes
- How long the price is held for
Method
Where these prices will come from
Four inputs, weighted towards what people were actually charged. No sponsored prices, and no figures supplied by a company that wants the work.
Quotes people share
Real quotes submitted by homeowners, stripped of anything identifying.
Installer pricing
Published price lists and standard packages from certified firms.
Scheme rules
The fixed contributions each grant makes, and what they leave to pay.
Published cost evidence
Government and industry cost studies, used as a sense check rather than a source.
Until enough quotes are in to publish a band honestly, the figures on this site carry an Illustrative label. They show the shape of the answer, not the answer.
Common questions
- Why show a range instead of a price?
- Because a range is the honest answer. Quotes for the same measure on the same house routinely differ by thousands, depending on scope, access and how busy the installer is. A single average figure would be wrong for almost everybody.
- Do these figures include the grant?
- The installed cost is before any grant. Where a scheme applies, the guide for that upgrade shows what it leaves you to pay, because grants like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme are deducted from the quote rather than paid to you.
- How many quotes should I get?
- Three, from certified installers, with the same scope written down for each. Comparing a detailed quote against a one-line price tells you nothing except which one wrote less.
- Why is the cheapest quote often not the cheapest job?
- Usually because something is missing from it: scaffolding, making good, a larger cylinder, the electrical work. The gap turns up as a variation once the job has started and you have less leverage.
- Does where I live change the price?
- Yes, and by more than most people expect. Labour rates, travel, access and the number of certified firms competing for the work all move the figure. Some grant schemes carry a rural uplift for exactly this reason.
- Will you pass my details to installers?
- Not without you asking us to. Price research and being contacted by a salesperson are separate things, and the second one is never a condition of the first.
See what a home like yours has paid
Start with your postcode and we will work from the property, not from a national average.