Heat Pump Commissioning
& Optimisation Services

Your heat pump was designed to deliver efficient heating. If it is not doing that, commissioning and optimisation will find out why — and fix it.

Specialist in correcting underperforming heat pump systems. Over 300 systems optimised across the UK.

Heat pump commissioning and optimisation is the process of verifying that a heat pump system is operating at its designed efficiency — and making adjustments where it is not. This service is distinct from repair (fixing broken components) and servicing (routine maintenance). It focuses specifically on system performance.

A surprisingly large number of heat pump installations in the UK are never properly commissioned. The heat pump itself may work, but the overall system — including flow rates, weather compensation settings, buffer tank configuration, emitter sizing, and DHW scheduling — is not set up correctly. The result is a system that heats your home but costs far more to run than it should.

This service is for homeowners who feel their heat pump is underperforming, those with high electricity bills relative to their property size, and those who want their system independently assessed by a specialist rather than the company that installed it.

Craig Ball has spent years specialising in exactly this type of work — diagnosing why heat pump systems underperform and making the adjustments needed to bring them up to their designed efficiency.

The Energy Saving Trust estimates that a poorly commissioned heat pump can cost 50% more to run than a correctly set up system. For a typical four-bedroom house, that can mean an extra £500–£1,000 per year on electricity bills.

Many installers set flow temperatures too high, disable weather compensation, or incorrectly size buffer tanks. The heat pump technically works — it heats the house — but it runs inefficiently, cycling too frequently, or relying on the immersion heater for hot water that the heat pump should be providing.

Homeowners often blame the technology rather than the installation. They conclude that heat pumps do not work, when in fact their specific system has simply never been set up properly. This leads to expensive and unnecessary replacements when optimisation could resolve the issue.

Without proper commissioning, you may also be in breach of your MCS installation conditions if the system was installed under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) or Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). Correct commissioning records are a requirement of these schemes.

Weather compensation is the single most impactful setting on a heat pump system. It adjusts the flow temperature based on the outside air temperature — lower flow temperatures in milder weather improve the COP significantly. Many systems we assess have weather compensation disabled or set to a generic curve that does not match the property's emitter type and insulation level.

Buffer tanks and low-loss headers are commonly misconfigured. An incorrectly sized or connected buffer tank can cause the heat pump to cycle excessively, reducing efficiency and accelerating compressor wear. We assess the hydraulic layout and make corrections where needed.

Flow rate balance across heating zones is critical. Underfloor heating circuits and radiator circuits have different flow requirements. If a system serves both, the pump speed, zone valve settings, and manifold balancing must be coordinated to avoid one zone starving the other.

Domestic hot water (DHW) settings are another frequent source of inefficiency. If the DHW schedule is not aligned with the heat pump's capability, the immersion heater may activate daily — adding significantly to running costs. We optimise DHW scheduling to maximise heat pump contribution and minimise immersion usage.

For larger properties or complex systems, we use data logging to monitor performance over a period of days. This reveals issues that may not be apparent during a single visit — such as overnight setback behaviour, defrost frequency, or pump overrun settings.

We work on all major brands and controller types. Each manufacturer has different interfaces, commissioning parameters, and hidden menus. Our experience across brands means we know where to look for the settings that make the biggest difference.