Can storage heaters be replaced with a heat pump?
Yes. Electric heating that does not include a heat pump, including storage heaters, panel heaters and electric boilers, is one of the types of heating the Boiler Upgrade Scheme allows to be replaced. The question is not whether it is allowed, but which kind of heat pump suits the home, and how much work each one involves.
There are two routes:
- An air-to-water heat pump, which heats water for radiators (or underfloor heating) and a hot water cylinder. This is a complete central heating system.
- An air-to-air heat pump, which warms rooms directly through wall-mounted indoor units. It is a smaller job, but it does not provide hot water.
How the new system differs
Storage heaters are self-contained. Each one charges overnight and releases heat through the day, on its own circuit. There is nothing linking the rooms. A heat pump works the other way round, with one outdoor unit supplying the whole home.
| Storage heaters | Air-to-water heat pump | Air-to-air heat pump | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How rooms are heated | Each heater stores heat overnight and releases it through the day | Warm water circulates to radiators or underfloor heating | Indoor units blow warm air into each room served |
| Pipework and radiators | None | Needed throughout, and usually new | None. Refrigerant pipes run to each indoor unit |
| Hot water | Usually an immersion heater in a cylinder | A cylinder heated by the heat pump | Not provided. An immersion or other system stays |
| Control | Charge and output settings on each heater | Central controls, room by room where designed | A controller for each indoor unit |
| Current grant | Not applicable | £7,500 | £2,500 |
Do you need radiators?
For an air-to-water heat pump, yes. Because storage heaters have no wet system, the installer designs one from scratch: pipes to each room, radiators sized for a heat pump’s lower water temperature, and a cylinder. In some rooms, underfloor heating is an alternative, most often where floors are already being lifted.
This is the biggest difference from an oil or gas home, where existing pipes and many radiators can be reused. It means more disruption: floorboards lifted, pipes run through walls and ceilings, and some redecoration afterwards. Ask the installer to show on a plan where every pipe and radiator will go.
For an air-to-air heat pump, no radiators are needed. Indoor units are mounted high on walls, with small refrigerant pipes to the outdoor unit. Our page on air-to-air heat pumps explains what that means day to day.
Hot-water requirements
Most homes with storage heaters heat water with an immersion heater in a cylinder, often on a cheaper night rate.
- With an air-to-water heat pump, the existing cylinder is usually replaced with one designed for a heat pump, which has a larger internal coil. It may be bigger than the old one, so the installer checks the space.
- With an air-to-air heat pump, hot water is not part of the system, so the immersion cylinder normally stays. The grant for air-to-air reflects that it heats rooms only.
Electrical supply considerations
Replacing electric heating with electric heating sounds simple, but the load is different. The installer checks:
- the capacity of the incoming supply, and whether the network operator needs to be notified;
- the consumer unit, and whether it has room for the new circuits;
- what happens to the old storage heater circuits, which usually become redundant;
- the meter and tariff. A dual-rate meter set up for overnight charging may no longer suit a system that runs through the day.
None of this is usually a barrier, but it belongs on the quote, not as an extra discovered on the day.
Heat loss and emitter sizing
A room-by-room heat-loss calculation sets how much heat each room needs on a cold day. From that come the size of the heat pump, each radiator (or indoor unit) and the cylinder.
Homes with storage heaters are often flats, bungalows and smaller houses, which can have modest heat losses and suit a small heat pump well. But electric heating was also common in homes with less insulation, where it seemed the simplest option. The survey may recommend insulation or draught-proofing first. That is a sign the installer is designing properly. Our guide to whether a home is suitable for a heat pump covers what the survey looks at.
What happens to the old storage heaters?
They are disconnected and removed, usually once the new system is running. Two things to know:
- They are heavy. The heat-retaining bricks inside make storage heaters much heavier than they look. Removal needs planning, especially upstairs or in a flat.
- Some older models contain asbestos. Certain storage heaters made before the mid-1970s used asbestos in their insulation. If yours are old, have them checked before anyone dismantles them.
Disposal should go through a proper route for electrical waste. Ask whether the quote includes removal and disposal, or whether that is separate.
Do not dismantle old heaters yourself
If you do not know how old your storage heaters are, leave them intact until someone has checked. The bricks and insulation are the parts to be careful with.
Current grant position
Replacing electric heating is eligible under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales, at the standard values:
Air-to-water or ground source
£7,500
The standard grant for an eligible air-to-water or ground source heat pump replacing electric heating.
Air-to-air
£2,500
Residential properties only. Air-to-air systems are not eligible in non-residential buildings.
The enhanced £9,000 off-gas value does not apply. It is only for homes replacing oil or LPG heating, so a home heated by storage heaters stays at the standard value even if it has never had a gas supply. That is set out in the government’s notice of grant values, and it is easy to miss when a home is described as “off-grid”.
The grant is claimed by your MCS-certified installer and taken off your quote. The heat pump grants page lists every value side by side.
What the grant does not cover
The grant is a fixed amount, not a percentage. Because an electric-heated home usually needs a whole new wet system, the installed cost is often higher than a straight boiler replacement, and the balance after the grant reflects that. The itemised quote shows it.
Property suitability
A heat pump can work well in homes that currently use storage heaters, but some situations need more thought:
- Flats. Siting the outdoor unit, and permission from a freeholder or management company.
- Solid floors throughout. Running new pipework is harder, which can make air-to-air or surface-run pipes more attractive.
- Very small homes. Air-to-air may be the more proportionate option, provided hot water is handled another way.
- Listed buildings or conservation areas. Outdoor unit siting is more restricted. The installer checks what applies.
The process
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Step 1: Decide the route
Air-to-water for a full heating and hot water system, or air-to-air for room heating only. The survey helps settle this.
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Step 2: Survey
Room-by-room heat loss, the electrics, where pipes and radiators or indoor units could go, and where the outdoor unit could sit.
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Step 3: Design and quote
A plan of the new system, the cylinder, electrical work, and removal of the old heaters, with the grant shown deducted.
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Step 4: Application
Your MCS-certified installer applies. Ofgem contacts you to confirm, and you have 14 days to respond.
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Step 5: Installation
Pipework and radiators first, then the outdoor unit and cylinder. Storage heaters usually stay until the new system is running.
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Step 6: Commissioning and handover
The system is set up and tested, the old heaters are removed, and you are shown the controls. Review your tariff afterwards.
Check your property
Tell us your home uses electric or storage heaters and whether you own it. We will take you to our eligibility check with those answers filled in. It is free, and nothing is sent until you choose to send it.
