You've spoken to the My Home Made Better team and taken your first steps towards an energy efficient home. Now, you're ready to learn how to switch to a heat pump!

But what should you do first?

We've spoken to a Southampton client who has recently ditched the gas boiler. Instead, she's opted for an air source heat pump to keep her 1920s home nice and cosy.

Here's what she had to say about those all-important first steps.

What was the first step you took, once you’d decided to switch to a heat pump? 

“The first thing was to have a home survey to check it would be viable to have a heat pump at all. The surveyor came round to look at the layout of the house and work out what (if any) work would be needed in each room to make sure the system would work effectively.” 

What did the survey tell you? 

“The survey showed technical information about how much heat was being lost from the house. But what was interesting was that the survey was based on a wider conversation and not just technical data. It took my preferences about where the heat pump could go, into account."

Was there anything that surprised you when you had the survey results? 

“I went through Heat Geek and didn’t realise they’d give me three different options. I could choose between guaranteed efficiency ratings, where the lowest rating was the cheapest overall and the highest was the most expensive. This wasn’t solely down to the cost of the heat pump itself though. It took the whole system into account and the prices reflected how much additional work would be needed in the house to reach that rating.” 

What advice would you give to others who are considering installing a heat pump? 

“If you’ve prepared your home as best you can, for example by insulating properly, a heat pump survey is the next step before having to commit too much time or money. You can learn a lot from the survey and it will really help to inform your decision.”

Photo shows the client's heat pump in situ, before it was connected.

Portsmouth is set to host its first ever green open homes event to show local people how they can become more energy independent.

If you’ve been looking for ways to get more energy for your money, have more energy security and be less impacted by global events, Energy Smart Open Homes is your chance to see how your neighbours are doing exactly that.

You’ll see:

• Heat pumps – low carbon heating up to three times more efficient than a gas boiler
• Solar panels - could solar be your first step towards energy independence?
• Home insulation – a tech-free way to control how heat moves in and out of your home, all year round

🏡 Portsmouth Energy Smart Open Homes week
🗓️ Saturday, 27th June to Sunday, 5th July 2026
📍Multiple properties and times listed
▶️ Book a visit at: www.buytickets.at/energysmartopenhomes