Renewables
Renewable Heating inHarpenden, St Albans& Luton
Lower-carbon heating advice from the engineer who installs it. Craig holds the Worcester heat pump qualification, so you get an assessment of your property rather than a sales pitch. Free first visit, no call-out fee.
Same-day attendance wherever possible · 27 Checkatrade reviews rated 10/10 · 12-month guarantee
Gas Safe registered
Registration 620784
Checkatrade reviewed
27 Checkatrade reviews
Guarantee
12-month guarantee
Fully insured
£2 million public liability
Free first visit
No call-out fee, price in writing
Renewable heating, assessed honestly for your property
Renewables with C Hobbs means low-carbon heating we actually install and stand behind: air source heat pumps, the low-temperature system design that makes them work, underfloor heating including whole-house installations, correctly sized radiators and cylinders, and the controls that tie it all together. Craig holds the Worcester heat pump qualification and the company is an approved installer for Worcester boilers, so the advice comes from someone who fits both technologies.
The awkward truth about renewable heating is that the heat source is the easy part. A heat pump produces heat at a lower temperature than a gas boiler, so the rest of the system (emitter sizing, pipework, insulation, hot water storage and controls) decides whether the house is warm and the running cost is sensible. That assessment is the service, and it comes before any product recommendation.
Sometimes the honest conclusion is that a property should improve its emitters or fabric first, or that a high-efficiency boiler is the better answer this year with renewables planned later. You will get that answer straight. The first visit and the assessment are free, there is no call-out fee, and anything we recommend is priced in writing.
Who it is for
- Homeowners who want to move away from fossil-fuel heating and want a realistic assessment first
- Properties with underfloor heating or generous radiators, where low-temperature heating works well
- Renovations and extensions where emitters and pipework are being replaced anyway
- Anyone who has had a heat pump quote and wants a second opinion from an installer
When it is needed
- When an ageing heating system is due for replacement and you want to consider the alternatives properly
- During a renovation, while floors are up and emitters can be changed
- When running costs and carbon are both on your mind and you want the numbers explained
- Before committing to a heat pump quote that has not included a heat loss assessment
Free quote for renewables
Free first visit and quote · No call-out fee. Fill this in and Craig or one of the team will come back to you.
Or call us direct on 07944 105588
What goes wrong when renewables are sold rather than designed
Most disappointing heat pump installations were not bad products. They were good products fitted to systems nobody assessed.
A cold house at design temperature
If emitters were never resized for lower flow temperatures, the property simply cannot get up to temperature on the coldest days. No control setting fixes an undersized radiator.
Running costs higher than the brochure
A heat pump forced to run at high flow temperatures loses efficiency fast. That is how a low-carbon system ends up with a bill people complain about, and it traces back to the design, not the appliance.
Hot water that does not keep up
Heat pumps need a cylinder with an adequately sized coil and a sensible reheat strategy. Reuse the wrong cylinder and the family runs out of hot water in the morning.
Money spent in the wrong order
Installing a heat pump before addressing obvious heat loss means paying for capacity you would not have needed. Sequencing matters as much as specification.
Common mistakes we are called out to undo
- Accepting a quote with no room-by-room heat loss assessment behind it.
- Keeping existing radiators unchanged and hoping a lower flow temperature will still warm the room.
- Treating a heat pump as a like-for-like boiler swap with a different box outside.
- Ignoring the system water: renewables need clean, inhibited water and filtration just as much as boilers do.
How we handle renewables, step by step
The same sequence on every job, so you always know what happens next and what it costs before it happens.
Step 1
Free assessment visit
We look at the property, the existing emitters, pipework, insulation and hot water arrangement, and listen to what you actually want to achieve. No charge, no call-out fee.
Step 2
Options and honest comparison
Realistic options set out (air source heat pump, low-temperature system upgrades, underfloor heating, or a high-efficiency boiler now with renewables later) with the trade-offs explained.
Step 3
Design and fixed written price
Emitter sizing, cylinder specification, pipework and controls designed for the chosen route, and priced in writing with dates.
Step 4
Installation by our own team
Fitted by the same five-strong team, coordinated with any bathroom, radiator or underfloor work so the house is opened once.
Step 5
Commissioning, testing and verification
Flow temperatures set, system cleaned, dosed and balanced, controls commissioned, performance checked, and any gas element certified under registration 620784.
Step 6
Handover and guarantee
Controls demonstrated properly, the part that decides your running cost, paperwork handed over, and our 12-month guarantee in place.
What you actually get out of it
Advice from an installer, not a salesman
Craig holds the Worcester heat pump qualification and fits both heat pumps and boilers, so the recommendation is not driven by a single product line.
Designed for lower flow temperatures
Emitters, cylinder and controls sized so the system delivers comfort at the temperatures renewables run at.
Lower-carbon heating that still heats
Warmth on the coldest days is the design requirement, not a hope.
One team for the whole job
Radiators, underfloor heating, cylinder, pipework and controls all handled in-house by the same engineers.
Fully insured and certified
Gas Safe registration 620784, £2 million public liability and £1 million employer's liability cover.
12-month guarantee
Backed by the team that designed and installed it.
Renewable heating detail: technologies, emitters and system design
Renewable heating is a system decision. These are the elements we assess and specify, and the reasons each one matters.
Air source heat pumps, and why not ground source
We install air source heat pumps only. They extract heat from outside air and deliver it to the heating circuit at a lower flow temperature than a gas boiler, with efficiency rising as that flow temperature falls. Ground source is not something we install, so if that is what a property needs we will say so rather than substituting a compromise.
Emitters: radiators, underfloor and sizing
At lower flow temperatures a radiator gives out less heat, so emitters are resized room by room against heat loss. Underfloor heating is the natural partner because its large surface area works happily at low temperatures, one reason we install it, including whole-house systems. Where radiators stay, some are typically upgraded to larger or higher-output panels.
Hot water, cylinders and reheat
Renewable systems store hot water rather than producing it instantly, so cylinder size and coil area are specified for the household's demand and for the reheat rate the heat source can achieve. Get this wrong and the complaint is never about the heating: it is about the shower.
Controls, weather compensation and water quality
Controls are what turn a good design into a low bill: weather compensation, sensible setback rather than aggressive on-off scheduling, and zoning that matches how the house is used. Clean, inhibited water and magnetic filtration protect the equipment exactly as they do on a boiler system.
Variations of this service we carry out
Full renewable changeover
Air source heat pump with resized emitters, new cylinder and controls, designed as one low-temperature system.
Low-temperature readiness work
Emitter upgrades, underfloor heating and pipework improvements now, so a heat pump is a straightforward step later.
Renewables assessment and second opinion
A free assessment of your property and an honest review of an existing quote, with no obligation.
Not sure which applies to you? Call 07944 105588 and you will speak to an engineer.
Related services
- Heat PumpsWorcester-qualified air source heat pump installation, sized to your property.
- HeatingFull central heating systems designed, installed and balanced properly.
- Boiler InstallationWorcester approved installation with a fixed written price before we start.
See everything on our services overview or go back to the homepage.
Where we carry out this work
Harpenden, St Albans, Luton are our core areas, and the team covers the wider counties from our base in Caddington, Luton.
- Renewables in Harpenden
- Renewables in St Albans
- Renewables in Luton
- Renewables in Dunstable
- Renewables in Bedford
- Renewables in Milton Keynes
- Renewables in Hertfordshire
- Renewables in Bedfordshire
- Renewables in Buckinghamshire
Just outside the list? Check our service areas or get in touch and we will tell you straight away.
Renewables: your questions answered
What renewable heating do you install?
Air source heat pumps, plus the low-temperature system work they depend on: resized radiators, underfloor heating, cylinders and controls. We do not install ground source heat pumps.
How much does renewable heating cost?
It depends on the property's heat loss and how much emitter and cylinder work is needed. The assessment and quote are free with no call-out fee, and you get a fixed written price before committing.
Will a heat pump work in my house?
Many houses suit one; some need emitter or fabric work first. We carry out the assessment before recommending anything and will tell you plainly if the answer is 'not yet'.
How long does an installation take?
Longer than a boiler swap, because emitters, cylinder and controls are usually part of the work. Your written price sets out a start and finish date.
Are you qualified for heat pumps?
Craig holds the Worcester heat pump qualification, and the company is also an approved installer for Worcester boilers, so you get advice on both technologies from one engineer.
Is the work guaranteed?
Yes, our work carries a 12-month guarantee, alongside the manufacturer's warranty on equipment. We hold £2 million public liability and £1 million employer's liability insurance.
How long does renewable heating equipment last?
Equipment life depends on the manufacturer and on maintenance; the system around it (pipework, emitters, cylinder) is a long-term installation when designed and protected properly.
Can you service it once installed?
Yes. The same team that installs your system maintains it, and we also service and certify gas appliances under registration 620784.
Do you cover Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire for renewables?
Yes. Harpenden, St Albans and Luton are our core areas, and we cover Dunstable, Bedford, Milton Keynes and the wider Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire area.
Book a free renewable heating assessment
An honest look at your property from an engineer who installs both heat pumps and boilers. Free first visit, no call-out fee, fixed written price.
Gas Safe registration 620784 · £2 million public liability · 12-month guarantee · Mon–Fri, 7:30am–5:30pm