If your approved heat pump installation is cancelled or the installer simply doesn't turn up after you've already done preparation work, UK consumer law still requires the job to be completed within a reasonable time and to a reasonable standard — you're entitled to a firm new date, a price reduction, or compensation, and you can escalate to MCS or TrustMark if the installer won't cooperate.
Key takeaways
- A real, dated case on r/ukheatpumps: a homeowner paid a £500 deposit and was given an install date 17 months later — then, after planning permission, multiple surveys, and disruptive prep work (removing a shed, digging a trench), the installer simply didn't show up on installation day, leaving the trench unfilled in their front yard for nearly three months.
- This wasn't a one-off — at least three other homeowners replying to the same thread reported comparable experiences with the same large national installer: repeated survey revisits, contradictory information, and missed appointments.
- Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a trader must carry out a service with reasonable care and skill, and within a reasonable time if no deadline was agreed — falling short entitles you to demand the work be finished properly at no extra cost, or to a price reduction, which can be up to a full refund in serious cases.
- If your installer is MCS-certified, MCS explicitly lists “delayed installation” and “installer conduct” as complainable matters — but only after you've given the installer 14 days to respond to a direct complaint first.
- Even Citizens Advice's general guidance on problems with a service doesn't cover this specific “no-show after approved prep work” scenario — a sign of how genuinely underserved this situation is.
- A structural cause worth understanding: large national installers often split survey, design-compliance checking, and physical installation across different regional teams — which is exactly where handoffs and rescheduling failures tend to happen.
What are my rights if a heat pump installer cancels or no-shows?
Your rights come from the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which applies to any service you pay for in England, Wales and Scotland, including a heat pump installation. Section 49 requires the trader to perform the service “with reasonable care and skill,” and section 52 requires it to be completed within a reasonable time where no fixed deadline was agreed. A cancelled installation day — especially one you weren't warned about in advance — after the job was already approved and surveyed is a strong candidate for falling short of both standards.
| What you can ask for | When it applies |
|---|---|
| Repeat performance — the job completed properly, at no extra cost, within a reasonable time and without significant further inconvenience | The usual first remedy — a firm, confirmed new installation date |
| Price reduction | If repeat performance isn't possible, or has already failed once, you can ask for money off — potentially up to a full refund in serious cases |
| Compensation for direct losses | Reasonable costs directly caused by the delay or cancellation — e.g. reinstating a garden, alternative heating costs, time off work for a missed appointment |
| Ending the contract | If the installer has shown they can't or won't complete the job within a reasonable time, you may be entitled to cancel and recover what you've paid |
Source: Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 49 and 52–54, as summarised by the Consumer Council and Citizens Advice.
What does “reasonable time” actually mean for a heat pump installation?
There's no fixed number of days written into the law — Citizens Advice's own guidance says as much, suggesting you compare against how long similar installers typically take. In practice, two different clocks matter: the time between signing the contract and the agreed installation date (which should reflect what you were told at the time — 17 months, as in the real case above, is well outside what any installer quotes at point of sale), and what happens after a no-show. A single missed appointment with a prompt, proactive reschedule and clear explanation is a service failure, but a recoverable one. Repeated cancellations, contradictory information, or silence until you chase them is where “reasonable” clearly breaks down.
How do I complain about an MCS-certified installer?
Every legitimate heat pump installer claiming the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant must be MCS-certified, which gives you a formal escalation route most homeowners don't realise exists.
Step 1
Complain directly
Put your complaint to the installer in writing — email, not just a phone call.
Step 2
Wait 14 days
MCS won't intervene until the installer has had 14 days to respond.
Step 3
Escalate to MCS
MCS contacts the installer on your behalf and can refer to free ADR.
Step 4
TrustMark / small claims
If unresolved, a TrustMark/consumer-code complaint or small claims court remains open.
MCS explicitly lists “delayed installation” and “installer conduct” among the matters it will handle, and will refer unresolved cases to its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider at no cost to you. If the installer is also TrustMark-registered, TrustMark's own consumer code adds a second, parallel route — worth using both if the installer is accredited by each.
“Octopus are unfortunately not great at these bespoke jobs... They seem to have a technical team in the office who deal with checking the design for compliance with regs, then the people doing the install turn up and find issues and they have to go back to the drawing board.”— comment on r/ukheatpumps, “UK Octopus heat pump warning: approved install, major prep work, then no-show on installation day”
Should I do disruptive prep work before the installer confirms a firm date?
The real case above is a cautionary tale specifically because the homeowner had already removed a shed, ripped up paving, and had a trench dug — all based on an installation date that was later missed with no warning.
- Ask your installer to confirm, in writing, that all surveys and compliance checks are complete before you start irreversible groundwork.
- Sequence disruptive prep work as close to the confirmed installation date as the job allows, rather than weeks or months in advance.
- Photograph the site before and after any prep work — it's the evidence that supports a later claim.
What if I've already spent money and the job falls through?
Direct, reasonably foreseeable costs caused by the installer's failure — reinstating your garden, hiring a skip, alternative heating while you wait — are recoverable as damages for breach of contract, separate from any price reduction on the installation itself. Keep receipts and photos — they're exactly the evidence that turns “the installer let us down” into a documented, actionable complaint.
Why handoffs cause this
As Adam, one of our own installers, puts it: “The reason we keep survey, design and installation with the same small team is precisely so nothing gets lost in a handoff — we're not coordinating between departments who've never spoken to each other.”
Work with one team, start to finish
Alliant Energy keeps survey, design and installation with the same small local team — no handoffs between departments, no rescheduling surprises. MCS, NICEIC, NAPIT, TrustMark and ISO 9001/14001/45001 accredited, based in Nelson and covering Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire.
Heat pump installer complaint and rights questions, answered
What can I do if my heat pump installer cancels on the day of installation?
Ask for a firm, written new date immediately. If the cancellation was unexplained or comes after previous delays, put your complaint in writing and reference the Consumer Rights Act 2015's requirement for reasonable time and reasonable care and skill.
Can I get compensation if my heat pump installation is delayed?
Yes, potentially — for direct losses caused by the delay (such as reinstating disrupted groundwork or alternative heating costs) as damages for breach of contract, separate from any price reduction on the job itself.
How do I complain about an MCS-certified heat pump installer?
Complain to the installer directly in writing first. If they haven't responded within 14 days, escalate to MCS, which will contact the installer on your behalf and can refer unresolved cases to a free Alternative Dispute Resolution service.
Should I do groundwork before my heat pump installation is confirmed?
Get written confirmation that all surveys and compliance checks are complete before starting irreversible work like removing structures or digging trenches — a real case shows how costly it is to prep too far ahead of an unconfirmed date.
What counts as a “reasonable time” for a heat pump installation under UK law?
There's no fixed legal number of days — it's judged against what's typical for similar installers and what you were told at the point of sale. A multi-month gap between signing and a promised date, or repeated unexplained cancellations, are strong signs of falling short.
Can I cancel my contract and get my deposit back if the installer keeps missing appointments?
If the installer has shown they can't or won't complete the job within a reasonable time, you may be entitled to end the contract and recover what you've paid, under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
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