YMYL framing — read this first

Heat pump cost, grant, and installation content sits inside Google's Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) category — specifically YMYL Financial Security, expanded again in the Search Quality Rater Guidelines update of 11 September 2025. A wrong figure on a £10,000+ purchase decision is not a typo; it's a real-world harm.

We take that seriously. The single most important thing to know about Heat Pump HQ today is that we do not yet have a named MCS-qualified expert reviewer or credentialed installer attached to this masthead. That work is in progress. Until then, every installation, cost, and grant claim on this site should be treated as research-stage — useful for orientation, but verify any figure that drives a purchase decision against the cited primary source.

That honesty is the editorial policy. We would rather under-claim authority than fabricate it.

Sources we cite

  • GOV.UK Find a Grant and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme policy page on GOV.UK — for grant rates, eligibility rules, and announced changes.
  • Ofgem BUS scheme guidance — including the specific guidance version in force (e.g. v4.2 until 28 April 2026, v5 thereafter).
  • MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) Data Dashboard — for installer certification status and installation volumes.
  • DESNZ statistics — for sector-level installation, fuel-mix, and heat policy data.
  • Energy Saving Trust modelling — for running-cost comparisons.
  • Heat Pump Association UK press releases and reports — e.g. the February 2026 press release stating 125,037 UK heat pumps were sold in 2025.
  • Manufacturer datasheets — for SCOP, COP, sound power, refrigerant type, and physical dimensions.
  • Trustpilot, Checkatrade, Which? — for installer reputation, cited at their published values rather than editorialised.

What we do not do

  • We do not write first-person installation accounts ("I had this fitted last winter and...") because nobody on the editorial team has had the heat pumps reviewed personally fitted. Pretending otherwise would be fabricated experience.
  • We do not invent quotes, customer counts, satisfaction percentages, or testimonials.
  • We do not claim MCS qualifications, Gas Safe registration, or chartered-engineer status for editorial staff. None of those apply.
  • We do not let affiliate or sponsorship arrangements determine the order of any "best of" list. Sponsorship slots, where they exist, are clearly labelled as sponsored and do not appear inside editorial roundups.
  • We do not run quote-request forms or sell user details to installers.

How AI is used

AI assists with research, drafting, and editing. A human editor reviews every published piece for accuracy against the cited primary sources before publication. We don't publish unverified claims, fabricated statistics, or first-person experiences we have not had. The full statement is on AI Use Disclosure.

Refresh cadence

Grant figures change. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is confirmed at £7,500 base / £5,000 biomass through 2030 with cross-party support, but rates can be amended at any UK Budget. The £9,000 oil/LPG uplift is expected from July 2026 and is currently scheduled to sunset in March 2027.

We re-verify every grant figure quarterly against the live GOV.UK / Ofgem page and the BUS guidance version in force. Pillar pages carry a visible "last reviewed" date. If you spot a figure that doesn't match its cited source, please flag it — corrections always take priority over new content.

Corrections

Material errors are corrected as soon as they are flagged, with the change noted at the bottom of the affected page. Cosmetic edits (typos, formatting) are made silently.