Heat Pump FAQs

A single-room high-wall unit starts from $2,500 fully installed. A multi-room system starts from $7,500 and a ducted whole-home system starts from $10,000. These are installed prices including all materials, electrical work, and a Certificate of Compliance.

The final price depends on your wall construction type, whether masonry drilling is required, the number of rooms, pipe run length, and whether a switchboard upgrade is needed. Craig assesses all of this at the site visit before quoting. See the full cost guide for more detail.

The quote is genuinely fixed. Craig visits the property before quoting to identify the wall construction, check the switchboard, confirm ceiling cavity access, and assess the outdoor unit position. Any masonry drilling, switchboard circuit upgrades, or wall-bracket mounting that are required are included in the written quote before you commit. Nothing is left to discover on install day.

No. Payment is due on completion. If you are eligible for the Warmer Kiwi Homes grant, that significantly reduces the upfront cost. See the WKH subsidy page to check your eligibility.

Yes. All electrical work is carried out by registered electricians and the Certificate of Compliance is issued on the day of installation. It is included in the price, not an add-on. This is a legal requirement you will need for your home's records and any future sale.

A standard high-wall single-room install takes 4 to 6 hours. Brick-and-tile homes where masonry drilling is required take slightly longer. Ducted whole-home systems are scoped at the site visit as these vary significantly depending on the number of rooms and ceiling cavity layout. Most single-room jobs are completed within a week of your first call.

Yes. Someone needs to be home to provide access to the property and to be present for the handover at the end of the job, when the controls and filter maintenance are explained and the Certificate of Compliance is issued.

Older homes, particularly those built before 1980, sometimes need a new dedicated circuit breaker before a modern heat pump can be safely connected. This typically costs $300 to $800. Craig checks the switchboard at the site visit and if an upgrade is needed, the cost is included in the fixed-price quote before you commit. It is not added on afterwards.

No. For brick-and-tile homes, masonry core drilling is identified at the site visit and included in the fixed-price quote. There is no standard weatherboard price that gets adjusted upward on install day because your home has a different cladding type.

Yes, and this is the best time for a ducted system. When walls or ceilings are open, refrigerant lines and ductwork can be fully concealed within the structure, giving a much cleaner result than surface-mounted runs. If you are renovating, contact Craig before the linings go back on.

A high-wall unit is the visible wall-mounted unit you typically see in living rooms. It heats one room or open-plan area and is the most common and cost-effective starting point. A ducted system runs through the ceiling cavity and delivers heating and cooling through concealed vents throughout the whole home. No visible indoor units, consistent temperature across all rooms, but significantly higher cost and best installed before or during construction.

Not well. In rooms with vaulted or raked ceilings, warm air from a high-wall unit rises and collects at the ceiling peak, leaving the occupied part of the room cold even when the unit is running. A ceiling cassette or ducted system distributes air downward more effectively and is a better fit for these spaces. Craig identifies this at the site visit before recommending a system.

A multi-split system runs two, three, or four separate indoor units from a single outdoor unit. Each indoor unit operates independently, so you can heat only the rooms you are using. It is a good option when you want to heat multiple rooms but want to avoid the cost and complexity of ducted heating, or when your section is too compact for multiple outdoor units.

A floor console unit sits at skirting level like a traditional heater. It requires no ceiling cavity and no high wall penetration, making it the best option for heritage villas and bungalows where the ceiling is inaccessible or where drilling through lath-and-plaster walls is not practical. Common in Devonport and Northcote Point heritage homes.

For properties within roughly 500 metres of the coast, yes. Salt air degrades uncoated aluminium fins significantly faster than inland environments, reducing the system's efficiency and shortening its working life. Craig specifies Blue Fin or Gold Fin anti-corrosion coating as standard for coastal properties. See the coastal heat pump guide for full detail.

Blue Fin uses an epoxy coating on the aluminium fins and provides good protection for most coastal environments. Gold Fin uses a superior hydrophilic and hydrophobic layer system that handles direct salt spray and marina environments better. For most coastal North Shore homes, Blue Fin is adequate. For properties with direct marina exposure, such as Manly, Gold Fin is the stronger recommendation. Craig assesses the specific position and recommends the right grade.

Yes. Running a heat pump in cooling mode during humid Auckland summers removes moisture from the air as well as lowering the temperature. This reduces condensation on windows and helps prevent mould on walls, which is a genuine issue in coastal homes. Most North Shore homeowners with heat pumps run them year-round for this reason, not just for winter heating.

The Warmer Kiwi Homes programme is a government grant covering up to 90% of the cost of a heat pump for eligible homeowners, capped at $3,450. Most eligible households pay between $400 and $700 out of pocket for a fully installed heat pump. The programme runs until June 2027. See the WKH subsidy page for full eligibility detail.

To qualify, your home must have been built before 2008 and meet minimum insulation standards. You must also either hold a Community Services Card or live in a qualifying lower-income area. Craig checks your eligibility at no cost at the site visit. Areas on the North Shore with strong WKH eligibility include Northcote, Beach Haven, and Orewa.

Craig handles the full application on your behalf, including the insulation compliance check and government submission. You confirm you want to proceed and the rest is managed for you. You do not need to contact EECA directly or navigate the paperwork yourself.

If you have an existing operational fixed heater in the main living area, this can affect your eligibility for the WKH heating grant. Craig checks this at the site visit and advises before any application is made. It is worth mentioning when you call.

The workmanship guarantee covers the installation itself: pipework, electrical connections, brackets, and fittings. If anything that was installed is not performing correctly within 12 months, Craig comes back to fix it at no cost. This sits on top of the manufacturer warranty on the unit, which covers the equipment itself.

Yes. Craig services and maintains the heat pumps he installs. He does not take service or repair calls on units installed by other companies. This focus means every system he services is one he is familiar with from the original install.

Most manufacturers recommend a professional service every one to two years. Filters should be cleaned every three to six months, which homeowners can do themselves. Craig explains this at handover. For coastal properties, a periodic rinse of the outdoor unit coils with low-pressure fresh water also helps extend the system's life.