House types
| Type | Cheshire East | Cheshire West and Chester | Warrington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | 36.6% | 30.6% | 24.6% |
| Semi-detached | 32.5% | 36.3% | 40.3% |
| Terraced | 20.0% | 20.6% | 22.8% |
| Flats (all kinds) | 10.5% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| Caravan or mobile home | 0.4% | 0.7% | 0.1% |
Cheshire East stands out for detached houses: 63,928 households, 36.6%. Warrington is a town of semi-detached houses, at 40.3%. All three have fewer flats than the national average.
What house type changes
- Detached houses can have up to two air source units under Class G, more often have room for a ground loop, and usually need more heat, so a larger system.
- Semi-detached and terraced houses can have one air source unit under Class G; the sound calculation to the neighbour's window matters more.
- Flats need the building owner's agreement and have a 0.6 cubic metre size limit under Class G.
- Park homes follow the site owner's rules; grant conditions should be checked for the specific case.
Park homes
780 households in Cheshire East and 1,069 in Cheshire West and Chester lived in a caravan or other mobile or temporary structure in 2021, far more than in Warrington (82). Where those homes have no gas supply, air source and air-to-air units can suit them, but the site owner's rules and the home's construction come first.
Who owns
| Tenure | Cheshire East | Cheshire West and Chester | Warrington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owned | 71.9% | 68.3% | 68.7% |
| Social rented | 11.6% | 14.6% | 15.3% |
| Private rented | 15.5% | 15.7% | 15.2% |
Ownership is higher in all three areas than the national 61.6%. That matters because the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is for owners, while the consortium's Warm Homes: Local Grant covers private tenants too, with landlords contributing after their first property.
Larger homes and heat demand
A detached house loses heat through more external walls than a terraced one of the same floor area, and older rural detached houses often have solid walls, high ceilings and single glazing in places. That means more heat on a cold day, so a larger heat pump and sometimes larger radiators. It does not rule a heat pump out; it changes the size and the cost. A room-by-room heat-loss calculation is the step that turns a house type into a design.
Detached homes also make placement easier. With space on all sides there is usually a spot for an outdoor unit away from neighbours' windows, which helps with the MCS 020 a) sound calculation, and there may be land for a ground loop. The ground source page covers when that is worth pricing.
Tenants and landlords
Private renting was the second-largest tenure in Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester. For a privately rented home, the landlord decides whether a heat pump goes in and is the one who can use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The consortium's Warm Homes: Local Grant can help a private tenant who meets the income test, but the council expects the landlord to contribute at least half the cost after their first property. Social tenants' heating is a matter for their council or housing association landlord.
Semis and terraces
Detached houses are not the whole story. Semi-detached houses are the largest group in Cheshire West and Chester (36.3%) and Warrington (40.3%), and about one household in five lives in a terrace in each of the three areas. For those homes the practical questions change: one outdoor unit under Class G, a sound calculation to the attached neighbour's window, and little room for a ground loop.