In County Durham the average household spends £858 a year on heating — 11% lower than the UK average of £960. Typical homes are 77.5 m² with 4.2 rooms. The local population is around 35,116 residents (Census 2021). Switching to an air-source heat pump could save up to £343 a year for an average home after the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.


Areas covered

South Hetton, Haswell, Shotton Colliery, Ludworth, Shadforth, Sherburn, Littletown, Kelloe, Coxhoe, Bowburn, Cassop, Pittington, Thornley, Wheatley Hill

See more in the DH area hub.

Typical air-source heat-pump installation costs range from about £6,000 at the low end to roughly £18,000 at the high end. Most homes fall somewhere between £7,000 and £15,000. These prices are before the £7,500 BUS grant (in addition, qualifying rural and island homes in Scotland may receive a further £1,500 uplift under the Home Energy Scotland scheme, for up to £9 000 of grant funding).

Installation costs in County Durham are slightly below the UK average.

CategoryNational cost range Adjusted for DH6 (×0.92) Net after £7,500 BUS grant
Small flats / simple installs £ 6,000 – £ 7,000 £ 5,520 – £ 6,440 from ~£ 1,000*
2–3-bed semis / moderate upgrades £ 8,000 – £ 12,000 £ 7,360 – £ 11,040 from ~£ 1,000*
Large detached / extensive work £ 13,000 – £ 18,000 £ 11,960 – £ 16,560 £ 4,460 – £ 9,060

* Minimum net costs rarely fall below £1,000 after grant, since most installs incur at least minor extra work.

Lower end
  • Minimal groundwork or plumbing modification required
  • Well-insulated homes that only need a compact ASHP unit
Mid end
  • Moderate radiator or underfloor-heating upgrades
  • Typical pump size (8–12 kW)
Upper end
  • Large detached houses or older properties needing major pipework
  • Extensive insulation or radiator replacement
  • Multi-zone controls and bespoke system design

Heat pump FAQs

How much does a heat pump cost here?

About £2,313 for a typical 3-bedroom home after the £7,500 grant.

How much can I save on heating bills?

Roughly £343 per year for the average home at current price-cap rates.

  • £858 Average Heating Cost UK avg £960
  • 77.5 m² Median Floor Area UK avg 84.7 m²
  • 4.2 Average Rooms UK avg 4.4

Local energy snapshot

Latest tariff window: 2025Q4

Ofgem region & price cap

Northern · 25.43p/kWh · 59.86p/day

PV potential (south-facing)

929 kWh per kWp/year

Dwelling mix

House 80.5% Flat 2.3% Bungalow 17.1% Detached 17% Semi-detached 50.9% Terraced 31.3%

EPC certificates

11,100 on record

Ready to get started?

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Also in Your Area: Solar Panel Potential

Heat pumps increase electricity usage. Solar panels can offset your higher bills.

Without heat pump:

Solar saves ~£601/year
Payback: 13.5 years

With heat pump:

Solar saves ~£716/year
Payback: 11.3 years

  • Typical system 4 kW
  • Installation cost ~£8,100
  • Annual generation 3,717 kWh

See detailed solar data for DH6 →

Data from our sister site, Solar By Postcode UK

Compare nearby areas: DH3 (Gateshead, Sunderland, County Durham) · DH4 (Sunderland, County Durham) · DH5 (Sunderland, County Durham) · DH7 (County Durham) · DH8 (Northumberland, County Durham) · DH9 (Gateshead, County Durham)

Heat Pump Installation & Ownership Guide

Timeline, planning rules, maintenance and what to expect
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Official Heat Pump Resources & Data Sources

BUS, Ofgem, planning rules, MCS and the data behind the numbers
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