A gas town
83.9% of Warrington households relied on mains gas alone in 2021, more than in either Cheshire council and above the national figure. Only 417 households used oil and 471 LPG. DESNZ estimates 5.32% of domestic properties had no gas meter in 2024, about half the Cheshire councils' share. So in Warrington the typical heat pump replaces a gas boiler.
What that means for a heat pump
Against gas, the price of a unit of heat from a heat pump is close to that from a boiler, and the result turns on two things: the heat pump's real seasonal efficiency and the household's tariffs. Design matters more here than in an oil home: a system sized properly and run at a low water temperature makes the comparison favourable, a poorly set one does not. A household that disconnects from gas entirely also stops paying the gas standing charge.
The homes
Warrington is mostly semi-detached and detached houses: 40.3% and 24.6% of households in 2021, with 22.8% in terraces. A semi-detached house can have one air source unit under Class G and the sound calculation to the neighbour's window matters; a detached house can have two. 68.7% of households owned their home, 15.3% rented socially and 15.2% privately.
The council's role
Warrington Borough Council delivers the Warm Homes: Local Grant with Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester, with Cheshire East managing it and funding until 31 March 2028. Its page sets out the conditions: a home rated EPC D, E, F or G, an owner-occupier living there or a private tenant, and a household on an income-related benefit or within the income limits of £36,000 before tax or £20,000 after housing costs. Measures can include an air source heat pump.
Grants paid
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme paid for 224 heat pumps in Warrington between May 2022 and September 2026, about one for every 404 households counted in 2021. Gas homes qualify for the standard £7,500 band. See grants paid for the three areas side by side.