Funding can reduce the upfront cost of a heat pump, but the order of the survey, application and installation matters. This guide summarises the live Home Energy Scotland position checked on 29 July 2026 and the questions a West Lothian homeowner should answer before accepting a quote. Funding rules and budgets can change, so confirm the current terms directly before committing.
What support is currently available?
The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan currently offers eligible Scottish owner-occupiers a heat-pump grant of up to £7,500 and an optional interest-free loan of up to £7,500. Eligible rural and off-gas rural properties may receive a £1,500 grant uplift, assessed by postcode; this does not apply automatically to every West Lothian home.
The loan is interest-free but is not cost-free: the current scheme terms describe a 1.5% administration fee capped at £150, affordability checks and a hard credit search. Funding is limited, eligibility applies and a quote is not the same as a funding offer.
Contact Home Energy Scotland and obtain a written funding offer before installation work begins. Starting work or paying for ineligible work too early can affect a claim.
Key funding conditions to check
- The heat pump must provide 100% of the property’s space heating and hot water for the main grant route; hybrid heat pumps are excluded.
- The installer and eligible equipment must be MCS certified.
- The scheme reserves funding only when it issues a written offer.
- Current offers normally require completion and a claim within nine months.
- A post-installation EPC is required.
- Outstanding loft or cavity-wall-insulation recommendations can prevent payment unless the scheme accepts an exemption.
- Funding is budget-dependent and the detailed terms can change.
Read the current Home Energy Scotland terms and conditions rather than relying on an old advert, social-media post or headline figure.
Is a heat pump suitable for the property?
A good design starts with the building, not a product brochure. A competent installer should calculate heat loss room by room and explain the temperature at which the system is expected to run. Important factors include:
- Loft, wall and floor insulation and uncontrolled draughts.
- The size and output of existing radiators or underfloor heating.
- Available space for an outdoor unit and any planning or noise constraints.
- Space for a hot-water cylinder where one is required.
- The electrical supply and any upgrade needed.
- Existing pipe sizes, pumps, valves, sludge and system cleanliness.
- How the household uses hot water and which rooms must stay warm.
- The proposed controls, weather compensation and commissioning process.
Questions to ask every installer
- Can I see the room-by-room heat-loss calculation?
- What design flow temperature and outdoor design temperature have you used?
- Which radiators or pipework need changing, and why?
- What seasonal performance have you modelled for this specific home?
- Which electricity tariff and unit rate support the running-cost estimate?
- What happens to performance in very cold weather?
- Who is responsible for planning checks, electrical work, commissioning and the EPC?
- What servicing, warranty and call-out support is included?
- Is every item on the quote eligible for the proposed funding?
Home Energy Scotland recommends getting at least three quotes. Its heat-pump installation checklist is a useful independent starting point.
How heat pumps behave differently from boilers
Heat pumps generally work most efficiently at a lower water temperature and for longer periods. That can mean larger radiators, steadier room temperatures and different control habits. The Energy Saving Trust guidance explains why heating curves, lower flow temperatures and correct system condition matter. A grant does not guarantee that a system will be suitable or cheaper to run.
Preparing an existing heating system
Even where a specialist MCS installer designs the heat pump, the condition of existing radiators, valves and pipework remains important. Kyle Barr Plumbing & Heating can help with existing plumbing and heating-system work, investigate cold radiators and circulation faults, or assess whether system cleaning is justified. We do not present this page as an MCS heat-pump installation offer.
For impartial funding and suitability advice, contact Home Energy Scotland first. For existing boiler, radiator or pipework work in West Lothian, contact Kyle Barr Plumbing & Heating or call 01506 530419.