Local installers — Edinburgh & the Lothians
A proper home survey, a real heat loss calculation, MCS-certified system design delivered in partnership with JME Green Energy, Home Energy Scotland grant and interest-free loan support for eligible Scottish homeowners, and a tidy local install by the Macara Heating team. One point of contact from first visit to commissioning.
Typical timing
Usually 4-8 weeks from survey to commissioning
Most domestic installs take 3-5 working days on site, depending on radiator upgrades and pipework.
3-5 days
On-site install
4-8 wks
Survey to handover
HES
Funding route
Survey
Room-by-room heat loss
Design
MCS via JME
Install
Commissioned properly
Installation Process
From first survey to final commissioning — six practical stages, in plain language, so you know exactly what happens and when.
We visit the property, measure every room, check the existing radiators and pipework, and walk through where the outdoor unit and cylinder can sensibly go. You get a proper conversation about whether a heat pump is the right call for your home — not a sales pitch.
Every installation starts with a proper heat loss calculation to BS EN 12831. This is what makes a heat pump actually work in a Scottish winter. It tells us the correct unit size, which radiators need upsizing, and what flow temperature the system needs to run at.
MCS-certified system design is delivered in partnership with JME Green Energy, who hold the MCS certification Home Energy Scotland requires for grant and loan funding. You get a full design pack, a fixed written quote, and the Home Energy Scotland application supported before any work starts.
Once Home Energy Scotland confirms your grant and any interest-free loan, we finalise the quote so the net position is clear before work starts. No paying upfront and chasing it back. No hidden admin fees. If you're not eligible, we tell you at the survey — not on install day.
Tidy local install by the Macara Heating team. Outdoor unit sited and anti-vibration mounted, new cylinder fitted, radiators upgraded where the heat loss calc said they needed to be, controls wired and tuned, and the system commissioned to the MCS design. Most installs take 3–5 days.
The system is commissioned to the MCS design — weather compensation set, flow temperatures balanced, controls walked through at handover. The MCS certificate (issued by JME Green Energy as the MCS-certified installer) and the Home Energy Scotland paperwork are handed over on completion. A system that runs quietly, efficiently, and properly — not one that barely meets spec.
What's Included
Fixed quote, proper design, tidy install. No vague allowances, no upsell once the job starts, no small-print on the funding route.
Who It Suits
Heat pumps aren't right for every property — and that's part of the conversation at the survey. These are the home types we install in most often across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Our most common Edinburgh and Lothians install. Usually a handful of radiator upgrades, a new cylinder, and an outdoor unit at the side or rear. Straightforward if the fabric is reasonable.
Often the easiest retrofit — tighter fabric, better insulation, and radiators that are already reasonably sized. A good candidate for hitting top-end efficiency.
Workable with the right heat loss calc and honest conversation about fabric improvements. We'd rather tell you the property isn't ready than install a system that underperforms.
Biggest running-cost win when switching to a heat pump. These are the jobs where the payback looks genuinely strong — and where we're often willing to travel further across Scotland's central belt for the right project.
The Honest Next Question
Want the money side before booking a survey?
See heat pump cost in Edinburgh. Still weighing it up against a new boiler? Read heat pump vs new boiler — we install both, so no bias.
Keep Exploring
If you're still weighing up the job, these are the next three guides most homeowners read after the installation page.
Typical installed ranges, what changes the quote, what running costs look like, and when a heat pump honestly is not worth the money.
How Home Energy Scotland grant and interest-free loan funding works, what the JME Green Energy MCS route means, and what you need to qualify.
Cost, comfort, disruption, and when the honest answer is still a new gas boiler for now. We install both, so no bias.
Heat Pump Installation FAQs
Straight answers on install times, MCS design, radiator upgrades, outdoor-unit siting, and whether your home is a sensible fit.
What Comes Up Most
Typical install times from survey to commissioning
Who handles design, MCS paperwork, and the install
Radiator upgrades and outdoor-unit siting
Whether older homes are realistic heat-pump candidates
Need an installation answer for your home?
If you want a realistic view on timing, radiator changes, or whether your property is suitable, call us and we'll talk it through properly.
Most domestic installs take 3–5 working days on site, depending on radiator upgrades and pipework. The survey, heat loss calculation, MCS design, and Home Energy Scotland application happen before install day — usually 4–8 weeks from survey to commissioning depending on funding processing.
Ready To Book?
Proper heat loss calculation, honest feasibility, fixed written quote alongside a clear view of Home Energy Scotland grant and loan eligibility. No sales pressure. No bait figures.