First-time central heating
Homes still heated by old electric storage heaters or single room heaters score badly on the EPC and cost tenants the most to heat. A first full central-heating system is often the single biggest rating uplift available.
What it is
A complete wet central-heating system installed where there was none — a heat source (a heat pump, or a gas boiler where mains gas is present), a hot-water cylinder or combi, pipework and radiators throughout. It replaces expensive, uneven electric heating with controllable whole-home warmth.
Why it matters for 2030
The EPC penalises expensive electric room heating heavily, so putting in central heating typically moves the rating up several points at once — often the measure that gets a stubborn F or E toward C. It also transforms the home for the tenant.
Which homes suit it
Properties on old electric storage heaters, single-room gas fires or no fixed heating — common in older flats and ex-local-authority housing. Where mains gas is present a boiler may be quickest; where it is not, we design around a heat pump so the home is future-proofed.
Grants that apply
First-time central heating is a headline measure under ECO4 and the Warm Homes: Local Grant and is frequently fully funded for an eligible household; heat-pump systems also draw the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.
How we do it
We design the system under PAS 2035, arrange installation — MCS-certified where it is a heat pump — and the grant funding, and lodge the paperwork for the post-works EPC.
Common questions
How much does the EPC improve?
Replacing electric room heating with central heating is usually one of the largest single rating gains, often several bands' worth of points.
Is it really often free?
For a qualifying household under ECO4 it frequently is; we check eligibility before you commit.
Gas or heat pump?
Where mains gas is present a boiler is quickest; without it, or to future-proof, we design a heat pump.
How long does it take?
A full system is typically a few days to a week depending on the size of the property.
Related: air source heat pumps · heating controls · hot-water cylinder insulation