Local installers — Edinburgh & the Lothians
Air source heat pump installation, done properly in Edinburgh and the Lothians
A proper home survey, a real heat loss calculation, MCS-certified system design delivered in partnership with JME Green Energy, Home Energy Scotland grant and interest-free loan support for eligible Scottish homeowners, and a tidy local install by the Macara Heating team. One point of contact from first visit to commissioning.
The installation process, step by step
From first survey to final commissioning — six practical stages, in plain language, so you know exactly what happens and when.
Free home survey
We visit the property, measure every room, check the existing radiators and pipework, and walk through where the outdoor unit and cylinder can sensibly go. You get a proper conversation about whether a heat pump is the right call for your home — not a sales pitch.
Room-by-room heat loss calculation
Every installation starts with a proper heat loss calculation to BS EN 12831. This is what makes a heat pump actually work in a Scottish winter. It tells us the correct unit size, which radiators need upsizing, and what flow temperature the system needs to run at.
MCS system design via JME Green Energy
MCS-certified system design is delivered in partnership with JME Green Energy, who hold the MCS certification Home Energy Scotland requires for grant and loan funding. You get a full design pack, a fixed written quote, and the Home Energy Scotland application supported before any work starts.
Funding confirmed, price clear
Once Home Energy Scotland confirms your grant and any interest-free loan, we finalise the quote so the net position is clear before work starts. No paying upfront and chasing it back. No hidden admin fees. If you're not eligible, we tell you at the survey — not on install day.
The install
Tidy local install by the Macara Heating team. Outdoor unit sited and anti-vibration mounted, new cylinder fitted, radiators upgraded where the heat loss calc said they needed to be, controls wired and tuned, and the system commissioned to the MCS design. Most installs take 3–5 days.
Commissioning and handover
We commission the system properly, set weather compensation, balance the flow temperatures, walk you through the controls, and hand over the MCS certification and Home Energy Scotland paperwork. You get a system that runs quietly, efficiently, and properly — not one that barely meets spec.
What's included in a Macara Heating heat pump install
Fixed quote, proper design, tidy install. No vague allowances, no upsell once the job starts, no small-print on the funding route.
- Free home survey and honest feasibility conversation
- Room-by-room heat loss calculation to BS EN 12831
- MCS system design pack (via JME Green Energy)
- Home Energy Scotland grant and interest-free loan paperwork support
- Heat pump unit, outdoor siting, and anti-vibration mounting
- Hot water cylinder sized for the household
- Radiator upgrades where the heat loss calc requires it
- Weather compensation controls and commissioning
- Fixed written quote — no variable allowances
- Tidy pipework, proper pipe runs, cleaned up on the way out
The homes we install heat pumps in
Heat pumps aren't right for every property — and that's part of the conversation at the survey. These are the home types we install in most often across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
3-bed semis and family homes
Our most common Edinburgh and Lothians install. Usually a handful of radiator upgrades, a new cylinder, and an outdoor unit at the side or rear. Straightforward if the fabric is reasonable.
Modern builds and post-2000 homes
Often the easiest retrofit — tighter fabric, better insulation, and radiators that are already reasonably sized. A good candidate for hitting top-end efficiency.
Older stone and 1930s homes
Workable with the right heat loss calc and honest conversation about fabric improvements. We'd rather tell you the property isn't ready than install a system that underperforms.
Off-grid, oil, and LPG homes
Biggest running-cost win when switching to a heat pump. These are the jobs where the payback looks genuinely strong — and where we're often willing to travel further across the Lothians for the right project.
Want the money side before booking a survey? See heat pump cost in Edinburgh. Still weighing it up against a new boiler? Read heat pump vs new boiler — we install both, so no bias.
Heat pump installation — short answers
How long does an air source heat pump installation take in Edinburgh?
Most domestic installs take 3–5 working days on site, depending on radiator upgrades and pipework. The survey, heat loss calculation, MCS design, and Home Energy Scotland application happen before install day — usually 4–8 weeks from survey to commissioning depending on funding processing.
Who actually designs and installs the heat pump?
Macara Heating carries out the installation locally. The MCS system design and Home Energy Scotland paperwork is handled in partnership with JME Green Energy, who hold the MCS certification Scotland's HES scheme requires. It's a working partnership — one engineer team, one point of contact, proper paperwork.
Will I need to replace all my radiators?
No — we only upgrade the radiators that the heat loss calculation says need upgrading. Heat pumps run at lower flow temperatures than gas boilers, so some radiators may need upsizing to deliver the same heat, but it's rarely every radiator in the house. The survey gives you a room-by-room answer.
What about the outdoor unit — is it noisy and where does it go?
Modern air source heat pumps are quiet — typically around 40–45 dB at 1 metre, roughly the level of a domestic fridge. MCS design includes a noise assessment (MCS 020) so the siting meets the required limits at the boundary. The unit usually goes at the side or rear of the house, well away from bedroom windows.
Can you install a heat pump in an older stone house?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The honest answer depends on the fabric — insulation, draughts, window quality — and whether the radiators can be upgraded to match the heat loss. We run a proper heat loss calculation before quoting, and if the property isn't ready we'll tell you and recommend a gas boiler or fabric improvements first.
Do I pay the full price upfront and claim Home Energy Scotland funding back?
No. Home Energy Scotland funding is applied for and approved before the work starts, so the net position is clear before you commit. JME Green Energy supports the application under their MCS certification, and we finalise the fixed written quote once your grant and any interest-free loan are confirmed. You're never asked to pay the gross price and chase it back.
Book a free home survey
Proper heat loss calculation, honest feasibility, fixed written quote alongside a clear view of Home Energy Scotland grant and loan eligibility. No sales pressure. No bait figures.