Air conditioning for your situation
Eight common cases — a flat in a conservation area, a terraced house, a rented flat, one bedroom, a home office, a loft, a listed building and Scotland — each answered from the planning rules and the grant tests, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Does a bedroom-only unit qualify for the £2,500 grant?
A bedroom-only pump does not qualify for the £2,500 grant, because Ofgem requires the heat pump to cover 100% of the property’s space heating (§3.80, checked 25 Sep 2026). - Can a flat in a conservation area have an outdoor unit?
For a flat in a conservation area the outdoor unit is usually permitted development on a wall that does not face a highway, if the building is wholly flats and the unit is within 0.6 m³ (Class G, G.2(j), checked 25 Sep 2026). - What size unit does a home office need?
A 20 m² home office with a 2.4 m ceiling and double glazing needs ≈2.0 kW on Daikin UK’s rule of thumb (checked 25 Sep 2026). - Can a listed building use Class G for an outdoor unit?
On a listed building Class G does not permit the outdoor unit (G.2(i), checked 25 Sep 2026). - Can a loft conversion have an outdoor unit on the wall?
A loft conversion can still be permitted development on a rear wall that does not face a highway (Class G, G.2(k), checked 25 Sep 2026). - What changes when the flat is rented?
A rented flat in a building that is wholly flats can still be permitted development with one outdoor unit within 0.6 m³ on a wall that does not face a highway (Class G, checked 25 Sep 2026). - Does Scotland allow an air source heat pump without an application?
In Scotland Class 6H covers an air source heat pump used only for domestic heating or hot water (Class 6H(3)(a), checked 25 Sep 2026). - Can the outdoor unit go on the rear wall of a terraced house?
For a terraced house the outdoor unit is usually permitted development on the rear wall if it is one unit, within 1.5 m³, not on a listed building, and not used only for cooling (Class G, checked 25 Sep 2026).