Lancashire Heat Pump Installersa district-by-district guide, not an installer
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Glossary

The words this guide uses, in plain English. Some are national terms from the grant and planning rules; others, such as back streets, outriggers and unitary councils, are about how Lancashire is built and run.

14 councils: the 12 Lancashire districts, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool · checked 3 November 2026

Each term links to the page where it matters most. Where a definition has a legal or scheme meaning, the linked page gives the source.

Air-to-air
A heat pump that warms rooms by blowing heated air, like an air conditioner in reverse. It is not covered by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and does not heat water. More
Air-to-water (air source)
The usual heat pump: an outdoor unit takes heat from the air and passes it to water for radiators, underfloor heating and a hot water cylinder. More
Article 4 direction
A council order removing some permitted development rights in a particular area, often a conservation area. It can mean a heat pump needs an application where it otherwise would not. More
Back street
The lane or alley behind a row of terraces, common across East Lancashire and Preston. It usually belongs to someone other than the householders, so a unit and its pipes must stay inside your boundary. More
Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)
The scheme in England and Wales that pays £7,500 towards an air or ground source heat pump, or £9,000 for oil and LPG homes with no mains gas until 31 March 2027. The installer applies. More
Capped or clamped meter
A gas meter that has been disconnected or locked. For the higher grant band it still counts as mains gas. More
Class C
The permitted development rule in Part 14 of the order for ground source heat pumps within the grounds of a house or block of flats. More
Class G
The permitted development rule for air source heat pumps: number, size, position and sound conditions, and no listed buildings. More
Conservation area
An area a council protects for its character. Class G still applies, but nothing may face a road. More
Cosy Homes in Lancashire (CHiL)
The Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme run by Blackpool Council for 13 of the 14 councils here. It funds energy efficiency work and clean heat for lower-income households in homes rated D to G, each within a national cap of £16,600 per home averaged across each project. More
Consumer code
A code of practice an installer signs up to, such as RECC or HIES, covering deposits, contracts and complaints. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme requires one. More
Cylinder
The insulated tank that stores hot water. A heat pump normally needs one, so a home with a combi boiler needs space for it. More
EPC
Energy Performance Certificate: a rating from A to G of a home's energy efficiency. CHiL is for homes rated D to G. More
Flow temperature
How hot the water leaving the heat pump is. Lower flow temperatures make a heat pump more efficient, which is why radiator sizes matter. More
Ground loop
Pipes buried in trenches or a borehole that collect heat from the ground for a ground source heat pump. More
Heat-loss survey
The room-by-room calculation of how much heat a home loses on a cold day. It sets the size of the heat pump and the radiators. More
Higher band
The £9,000 Boiler Upgrade Scheme amount for oil- and LPG-heated homes with no mains gas, for applications properly made between 21 July 2026 and 31 March 2027. More
Lawful development certificate
A certificate from the council confirming that a plan is permitted development, useful as proof when selling. More
Lead authority
The council that runs a Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme on behalf of others. For Cosy Homes in Lancashire it is Blackpool Council. More
MCS
The certification scheme for heat pump installers and products. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme only pays for work by an MCS-certified installer. More
MCS 020 a)
The sound calculation an air source unit must pass to be permitted development, worked out at the nearest neighbouring habitable-room window. More
Off the gas grid
A home with no mains gas. The government's 2024 estimates count properties with no gas meter; Ofgem's definition for the higher band is narrower. More
Outrigger
The narrow rear extension behind many terraced houses, often with a kitchen or bathroom. Its flat roof can sometimes take a unit, kept a metre from the edge. More
Standard band
The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme amount that applies to most homes, including gas-heated ones. More
Unitary council
A council that runs all local services itself. Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen are unitary; the other 12 councils here share services with Lancashire County Council. More
Warm Homes: Local Grant
The national programme, delivered by councils, for lower-income households in poorly rated homes. In this county it is delivered through CHiL. More

Two words used carefully

"Lancashire" on this site means all 14 councils of the ceremonial county, including Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen; where a figure is for the 12 Lancashire County Council districts only, the page says so. "Installer" means a firm that designs and fits heat pumps. Despite the site's name, we are not one, and we name none.

Sources

  1. legislation.gov.uk, Part 14 of the permitted development order
  2. Ofgem, Boiler Upgrade Scheme: property owners
  3. Cosy Homes in Lancashire

Read on 3 November 2026. If a source now says something different, the source is right.

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Tell us which district the home is in and what heats it now. SEO-DONS LTD, the publisher of this guide, replies by email. We are not installers and we do not pass your details to any firm.

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Read by SEO-DONS LTD, publisher of Lancashire Heat Pump Installers, and answered by email. This site is an independent guide, not an installer or a council service, and does not refer you to any firm. See our privacy notice.

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