We install both — no bias, just the honest call
Heat pump or new gas boiler — which is the right call for a Scottish home?
Both are good answers in the right situation. Macara Heating installs heat pumps and gas boilers — so we've no commercial reason to push one over the other, and this page lays out the honest trade-off the way we'd explain it at your kitchen table. Cost, running cost, comfort, grants, disruption, and when each is the right call.
The short honest answer
A heat pump is usually the right call if…
- You're planning to stay in the home for years
- Your home is reasonably insulated
- You want lower long-term running costs
- You want to access Home Energy Scotland grant and interest-free loan funding (eligibility applies)
- You want to move away from fossil fuels
- You have room for an outdoor unit and cylinder
A new gas boiler is often the right call if…
- Your boiler has failed and you need heat fast
- Your budget needs the lowest upfront cost
- Your home is draughty or poorly insulated
- You're planning to move within a couple of years
- There's no good spot for an outdoor unit
- The property has planning restrictions
If you tick boxes on both sides, the honest answer usually lives in the heat loss calculation — which is exactly what the free survey is for.
Heat pump vs gas boiler — side by side
Real numbers for a typical 3-bed Edinburgh or Lothians semi. Individual properties will vary — your survey will give you the specific figures.
| Criterion | Heat pump | New gas boiler |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost (installed) | £10,000 – £16,000 (before HES funding) | £2,200 – £4,200 |
| Funding available | Home Energy Scotland grant + interest-free loan for eligible Scottish homes | No Scottish Government grant funding for standard gas/oil boilers |
| Typical annual running cost (3-bed semi) | £1,100 – £1,700 | £1,400 – £1,900 (A-rated gas) |
| Efficiency | 300–400% (SCOP 3.0–4.0) | 90–94% (A-rated condensing) |
| Flow temperature | 35–50°C | 65–75°C |
| Radiator changes often needed | Yes — some rooms usually need upsizing | No — existing radiators reused |
| Install time on site | 3–5 working days | 1–2 days |
| Outdoor unit needed | Yes — wall-mounted or ground-based | No |
| Works below zero | Yes — rated well below freezing | Yes |
| Carbon footprint | Much lower, especially with UK grid decarbonising | Fossil fuel — higher carbon |
| Typical lifespan | 15–20 years | 10–15 years |
| Noise | ~40–45 dB at close range (quiet conversation) | Quiet (mostly indoor) |
The upfront cost difference
A new A-rated gas boiler installation in Edinburgh typically costs £2,200–£4,200 fully installed. An air source heat pump typically costs £10,000–£16,000 before funding. For eligible Scottish homeowners, Home Energy Scotland offers a grant toward the heat pump plus an interest-free loan on top for remaining costs — applied for through Home Energy Scotland before the work starts. Standard gas and oil boilers do not qualify for Home Energy Scotland grant funding.
See heat pump cost in Edinburgh for the full breakdown, or the boilers page for new gas boiler options.
The running cost difference
A well-designed heat pump runs at a seasonal COP of around 3.2–3.8 in a Scottish climate, which means roughly 3.5 kWh of heat for every 1 kWh of electricity. That's why a properly designed system can run cheaper than gas at current unit rates — typically £200–£400/year less than a new A-rated gas boiler for a 3-bed semi. The savings are much larger if you're replacing oil or LPG.
The caveat is real: in a draughty, poorly insulated home with undersized radiators, a heat pump can struggle to hit those efficiency figures. That's why the heat loss calculation at the survey isn't optional — it's what tells us whether the savings will actually show up for your specific home.
Comfort and how it feels to live with
A gas boiler heats water quickly and blasts it through radiators at 65–75°C — you get a fast, responsive heat that people are familiar with. A heat pump runs radiators at a lower flow temperature (35–50°C) for longer, keeping the home at a steady temperature rather than bouncing up and down. Different feel, not worse — but the difference catches people who weren't expecting it. Modern weather compensation controls handle this automatically once tuned at commissioning.
Disruption during the install
A straightforward combi-for-combi boiler swap is usually a one-day job, sometimes two for a full system change. A heat pump install is a bigger project — typically 3–5 working days on site, with radiator swaps where needed, a new cylinder, and commissioning. We protect floors, clean up each day, and you'll have a clear schedule before we start so you know exactly what's happening and when.
Scottish winters — both work, but design matters
Modern air source heat pumps are rated to work well below freezing, and Edinburgh rarely sees temperatures that trouble a properly sized unit. The difference between a heat pump that keeps the home warm through a January cold snap and one that doesn't isn't the brand on the box — it's whether the system was designed for the specific heat loss of the property and whether the radiators can deliver enough heat at the lower flow temperature. Gas boilers are more forgiving of lazy sizing, which is one honest reason they remain the safe default for retrofit situations.
Every heat pump install we deliver includes a room-by-room heat loss calculation as standard, signed off under JME Green Energy's MCS certification.
What we actually recommend at the kitchen table
We install both systems every week and we're straight about what each is good for. If your home is reasonably insulated, you're staying long-term, and there's a sensible spot for an outdoor unit — we'll usually recommend a heat pump, design it properly, and support the Home Energy Scotland paperwork through JME Green Energy. If your boiler has failed in January, your home is draughty, or you're moving in 18 months — we'll usually recommend a new A-rated gas boiler, get it installed fast, and leave the heat pump conversation for another day.
The honest answer is almost never "always heat pump" or "always boiler". It's "here's what actually fits your home, your budget, and your timeline" — and you only get that from a real survey, not a phone estimate.
Full MCS-certified air source heat pump installation, Home Energy Scotland funding, and how the JME Green Energy partnership works.
See heat pumpsGas Safe registered combi, system, and LPG boiler installation across Edinburgh and the Lothians. Fixed-price quotes, finance available.
See boilersHeat pump vs boiler — quick answers
Is a heat pump better than a new gas boiler in Scotland?
Neither is universally better — it depends on the property. A heat pump is usually the right call for a reasonably insulated home where the owner is staying long-term and wants lower running costs and can access Home Energy Scotland grant and loan funding. A new gas boiler is usually the right call for a draughty home, a short-term owner, or a property where radiator upgrades and outdoor unit siting would be impractical. We install both, so we've no reason to push one over the other.
Will a heat pump save me money compared to a new gas boiler?
In a well-designed system in a reasonably insulated home, a heat pump typically runs 10–25% cheaper than a new A-rated gas boiler. Over 10–15 years, that usually pays back the upfront difference once Home Energy Scotland grant and interest-free loan funding is applied. In a draughty or poorly insulated home the running-cost saving can disappear entirely, which is why the heat loss calculation at the survey matters so much.
Is a heat pump quieter than a gas boiler?
Both are quiet. A modern heat pump runs at around 40–45 decibels at close range — roughly the level of a quiet conversation — and MCS installation standards require noise assessment as part of sign-off. A gas boiler is mostly silent indoors. Neither should be a noise issue when properly installed.
Can I have a hybrid system with both?
Hybrid systems do exist, but we're cautious about recommending them for most domestic situations. They add complexity and cost, they don't always qualify for the Home Energy Scotland heat pump grant (which expects the heat pump to provide 100% of heating and hot water), and in most Edinburgh and Lothians homes a well-designed standalone heat pump or a well-installed new gas boiler is the more honest route. We'd only recommend a hybrid if your property genuinely needs one.
Which should I pick if I'm not sure?
Book a free home survey. We'll do a proper heat loss calculation, check your radiators and insulation, review Home Energy Scotland grant and loan eligibility, and give you a straight answer — not a sales pitch. If your home is ready for a heat pump, we'll say so. If a new gas boiler is the more honest call today, we'll say that too.
Still not sure which is right?
Book a free home survey. We'll look at your home, your existing system, your radiators, and your usage — and give you a straight answer on whether a heat pump or a new gas boiler is the more honest call for you today.