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PLANNING YOUR INSTALLATION 

There are several factors which need to be actioned before commencing your heatpump installation. It is vital these are addressed BEFORE any works commence. 
Your Technical Surveyor will deal with most of these on your behalf however it is important you understand the requirements. 
 
Likewise upon completion of the installation, there are documents we the installer have to produce as part of your installation registration. Details of these can be found below. 
 
PRIOR TO INSTALLATION 
 
DNO Permission (District Network Operator) 
 
Once a quotation has been accepted, the Technical Surveyors first task is to contact the DNO operator (generally Western Power in our area) for permission to proceed with the installation. The reason is, to ensure the supply cables feeding your property and other neighbouring homes are not overloaded. Only when approval is granted can we continue with the installation.  
 
This is a requirement that if not followed, could result in the DNO requesting the heatpump be removed. 
More information on this can be found on the Energy Networks Association (ENA) web site;  
 
Planning Permission 
 
Air to Water Heatpumps 
Most air to water heatpump installations can be fitted under Permitted Development Rights as long as they follow the rules and guidelines set out in the Microgeneration Schemes MCS 020 Planning Standards. 
 
The exception to this is if the property is a listed building or, if the property is located in a conservation area or AOB (area of outstanding beauty). If in one of these curtilage areas, full planning permission will be required. 
 
The MCS 020 Standard is based mainly around the noise emitted by the outdoor unit and as such, our Technical Surveyor will have carried out a noise assessment during their survey as part of deciding the best position to site the unit. There is also a requirement that the unit has to be fitted at least 1mtr away from a neighbouring boundary and 1mtr away from a habitable room, opening window or door. A habitable room is any room except a kitchen, utility, hallway or bathroom. 
 
More information on the MCS 020 Planning Standards can be found on the link below; 
Ground Source Heatpumps 
 
As the ground source heatpump and associated equipment is general within the property or plant room, the only affected area is where the ground collector / boreholes are to be located. 
 
A ground collector installation falls within permitted development, unless for a listed building or in a conservation area. If your property falls within these categories, please check with your local planning office to see if planning approval is required. 
 
In most instances boreholes are also drilled under permitted development and as a result, do not require planning consent. It’s always best to check with your drilling contractor though just in case they are aware of any problems with the makeup of the land. 
 
With all borehole installations, the depth of borehole cannot be ascertained until a full prognosis report (geological survey) has been completed. 
EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) 
 
Every domestic and commercial property will require an up to date EPC undertaken. This can be organised through your local Energy Assessor. An EPC measures the current energy efficiency of the property and provides solutions required to improvement the homes insulation level. 
 
Properties are banded between “A – G” depending upon their current insulation levels. Band “A” being the best and “G” the worst. Realistically any property “D” rating and above can generally meet the requirements needed for a heatpump without too many additional upgrades however this is not always the case. 
Part of the Government Renewable Heat Incentive grant application requires data taken from the EPC plus a copy within of a report dated less than 2 years from completion date. 
 
The exception to this rule is for new build properties. New homes are supplied with a report called an “As Built EPC”. This is normally supplied by the SAP Assessor. 
 
POST INSTALLATION 
 
MCS Registration 
Being an MCS approved contractor, once an installation has been completed, we will register your installation onto the MCS Database. An MCS Certificate will be sent to you direct (generally to your email address provided). 
 
Insurance Backed Warranty 
A requirement of the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC) and Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is that clients are insured against the contractor ceasing to trade. An insurance backed warranty policy will be provided to you upon completion of the installation and once the final invoice has been sent to you. 
 
Building Control Notification 
Once all works have been finished, the heatpump and cylinder will be registered on the NICEIC web site under Building Control Notification.  
 
Manufacturer’s Warranty Registration 
Upon completion of the installation your heatpump will be registered with the manufacturer to ensure warranty is valid. This will be undertaken by us on your behalf however under new GDP laws the manufacturer will contact you directly for permission to add your details to their system. 
 
DNO Notification – Post Installation 
We mentioned earlier on this page about the need to attain permission from the District Network Provider before the installation commences. We also need to notify them once the installation has been completed. 
 
A commissioning Confirmation form is sent to us once approval for installation has been granted. We then fill out and return this for once job is complete. 
 
The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) 
As we are an MCS approved installer, this will allow you to claim the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) grant. The application will need to be undertaken by you the client due to GDPR restrictions and the fact that banking details and passwords need to be provided. We are on hand to help with any questions regarding information which may be required. 
 
For more information relating to this scheme please refer to the “Government Funding” section on our web site. 
 
Our fully certified and qualified team are committed to ensuring all our customers needs are met by offering a highly skilled, professional, efficient and cost effective service tailored to your individual needs. And you can rest assured that all work is fully guaranteed. 
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