Heating Your House with an Air to Air Heat Pump

More people are asking us whether they can heat their whole house with air to air heat pumps rather than a boiler. The honest answer is: most of it, very effectively, as long as you understand one thing up front. An air to air heat pump heats rooms, not water.

How a multi-split system heats a house

A multi-split system has one outdoor unit connected to between two and five indoor units. Each indoor unit sits in a different room and has its own thermostat and remote or app control. The living room can be at 21°C, the bedrooms at 18°C, and the spare room off. That room-by-room control is one of the biggest differences from central heating, which tends to heat everything on the circuit whether you're using it or not.

Larger houses sometimes use two outdoor units, for example one for the downstairs living spaces and one for the bedrooms. We design around how you actually use the house.

What about hot water?

This is the part people most often miss. Your showers and taps still need hot water from somewhere. The common set-ups are:

• Keep your existing boiler for hot water and let the heat pump do the space heating. The boiler then runs far less.
• Keep the radiators as a backup for the coldest spells or for rooms without an indoor unit, such as bathrooms and hallways.
• An immersion heater or cylinder for homes that are replacing the boiler altogether.

We'll talk this through at survey. It's a whole-home decision and we'd rather you went in with your eyes open.

Which rooms get an indoor unit

The usual pattern is the living room, the kitchen or kitchen-diner, and the main bedrooms. Those are the rooms you spend most of your time in and where comfort matters most. Hallways, landings and bathrooms are normally left to the existing heating. Warm air from the heated rooms also takes the chill off them.

Running costs

Each kWh of heat from a Haier heat pump costs roughly 7.3p at the October–December 2026 electricity cap of 26.32p per kWh. A gas boiler at 90% efficiency costs about 8.9p per kWh of heat at the 7.97p gas cap. The heat pump is at least level with gas per unit of heat, and heating only occupied rooms usually saves more on top. Against oil, LPG or electric heaters the comparison is covered on our heating costs compared page.

Where the pipework goes

On a two-storey house, pipe runs from the outdoor unit to each indoor unit go along the outside wall in neat trunking, or internally through cupboards and floor voids where the layout allows. We plan the routes at survey so the result looks tidy. The quote shows trunking as a separate line, so you can see what you're paying for.

Pricing a multi-room system

Enter each room into the instant quote and it selects the right Haier multi-split outdoor unit for the number of rooms, then prices the indoor units and installation. A free survey confirms the final figure before anything is booked.

Single-storey home? See bungalow heating, as bungalows are often the easiest homes to heat this way.

Haier systems, certified installers

We install Haier exclusively. Keeping to one brand means our engineers know the range inside out, we hold the right spares, and costs stay down. Haier systems come with a 6-year warranty as standard when installed by a certified engineer. Our engineers are F-Gas certified, the business is REFCOM registered, and electrical work is carried out to Part P standard. We're based in Buckingham, MK18, and cover Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and the surrounding area.

Heat pump installers near you

Milton Keynes Buckingham Bletchley Newport Pagnell Aylesbury Bicester Northampton Oxford

See the full list of areas we cover, or check recent installations for real examples of our work.

More heating guides

Air to air heat pumps Home office heating Garden room heating Bungalow heating Oil & LPG alternatives Storage heater replacement Conservatory heating Loft conversion heating Extension heating Garage conversion heating Annexe heating Heating costs compared

Common questions

Can an air to air heat pump heat a whole house?

It can heat the main living spaces and bedrooms of most homes effectively using a multi-split system with one indoor unit per room. It does not provide hot water, so a boiler, immersion heater or cylinder is still needed for taps and showers.

How many rooms can one outdoor unit heat?

The Haier multi-split systems we install run between two and five indoor units from one outdoor unit. Larger homes may use two outdoor units.

Can I keep my radiators?

Yes. Many customers keep their existing central heating as a backup for the coldest days and for rooms without an indoor unit, such as bathrooms and hallways.

Is it cheaper than gas central heating?

Per unit of heat, it is roughly level with or cheaper than a gas boiler at the October to December 2026 price caps: about 7.3p per kWh of heat versus about 8.9p for gas at 90% efficiency. Heating only the rooms you use usually saves more on top.

How long does a multi-split installation take?

Typically one to three days depending on the number of rooms and the pipe routes, confirmed at the free survey.