Savings figures
A savings figure depends on a long list of assumptions: how much heat the home uses, what heating it had before, the price of gas and electricity, the tariff chosen, and how efficiently the new system runs. Change any one and the figure moves.
In March 2026, the Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint against an energy supplier's heat pump advert that told customers how much they could save "up to" each year. The ASA found the modelled basis and assumptions were not disclosed or shown to be representative; only about a third of the customers in its validation data reached the figure. The lesson for a homeowner is simple: an "up to" figure tells you the best case, not your case.
Ask any firm quoting a saving to show how it was calculated for your home, with the tariffs and assumptions written down.
Grant headlines
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is £7,500 for most homes that qualify: owners in England and Wales replacing fossil fuel or electric heating, through an MCS certified installer. An advert that shows the figure without any of those conditions is incomplete. The ASA has upheld complaints about heat pump grant adverts that did not make eligibility clear, and about a lead-generation site that implied government funding it did not have.
A grant headline is also not a price. The grant comes off the installation price; ask what you would actually pay.
No-cost offers and approval claims
- "No cost to you" offers. Under the DMCC Act 2024, describing a product as costing nothing when the consumer has to pay anything is banned outright. If an offer seems to cost nothing, ask what you will pay and when.
- Claims of approval by government. There is no such status for heat pump installers, and falsely claiming approval or endorsement is banned outright under the same Act.
- Official-looking names and logos. A site or advert that looks like a government service but is not is a reason to stop. The official grant pages are on GOV.UK and Ofgem.
Questions to put to the firm
- How was this savings figure calculated, for which kind of home, at which tariffs?
- Does my home qualify for the grant you mention, and how much would it be?
- What is the full price, and what would I pay after the grant?
- Which register can I check you on?
Firms that answer plainly are worth a survey. For the checks that do not depend on the firm's word, use the check sheet.
Lead-generation sites
Some websites collect enquiries and pass them to installers for a fee. That is a legitimate business, but the ASA has ruled that such sites must be upfront about their commercial intent; in 2019 it upheld a complaint about a "Government Solar Checker" site that implied an official status it did not have. A site that looks official, asks for your details and does not say who runs it or what happens to your enquiry is worth leaving.
How this site handles it
This site says on every page that it is published by SEO-DONS LTD, that it is not a directory or an installer, and that questions are answered by email without being passed to any firm. It makes no savings claims and shows the grant figure only with its conditions. If you think we have fallen short of that anywhere, tell us through the form.
One last check on any advert: does it tell you who is behind it? A named company with an address you can look up is accountable for what it says. An advert that hides who placed it is not a good basis for a decision about your home.
Claims about running costs
Running cost claims deserve the same care. A figure for yearly savings depends on the home, the heat pump's efficiency, the tariff and what it replaces. Ask what each figure assumes, and ask for an estimate based on your own survey's heat-loss figure rather than a typical home. A firm that cannot show its working is asking you to take the number on trust.