--- title: "Heat Pump Lead-Gen Sites vs a Local Installer | Alliant Energy" description: "Heat pump lead-gen sites vs a local installer: how to tell if a 'get a quote' website is a genuine local company or a broker reselling your details." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": [ "Organization", "LocalBusiness", "ProfessionalService" ], "@id": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/#organization", "name": "Alliant Energy Ltd", "alternateName": "Alliant Energy", "legalName": "Alliant Energy Ltd", "url": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/logo.png", "width": 320, "height": 80 }, "image": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/og-default.jpg", "description": "MCS-registered renewable energy specialists installing solar PV, battery storage, EV charging and air source heat pumps for UK homes and businesses across the North West. ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certified. TrustMark and NAPIT registered.", "telephone": "+441282501589", "email": "info@alliantenergy.co.uk", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "Unit 214 Northlight Industries, Pendle Road, Brierfield", "addressLocality": "Nelson", "addressRegion": "Lancashire", "postalCode": "BB9 5FL", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": 53.824275, "longitude": -2.2371012 }, "hasMap": "https://maps.google.com/?cid=12149377311066770099", "identifier": [ { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "Google Place ID", "value": "ChIJyVF7YdmRe0gRs0pTVEtCm6g" }, { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "Google CID", "value": "12149377311066770099" } ], "openingHoursSpecification": [ { "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification", "dayOfWeek": [ "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday" ], "opens": "09:00", "closes": "17:00" } ], "priceRange": "££", "currenciesAccepted": "GBP", "hasCredential": [ { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "name": "MCS Certification", "credentialCategory": "certification", "description": "Microgeneration Certification Scheme — qualifies installations for Smart Export Guarantee and government grant eligibility", "recognizedBy": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Microgeneration Certification Scheme", "url": "https://mcscertified.com" } }, { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "name": "TrustMark — Government Endorsed Quality", "credentialCategory": "certification", "description": "Government-endorsed quality scheme for tradespeople working in and around the home", "recognizedBy": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "TrustMark", "url": "https://www.trustmark.org.uk" } }, { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "name": "NAPIT Registration", "credentialCategory": "certification", "description": "National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers — approved electrical and renewable energy installer", "recognizedBy": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "NAPIT", "url": "https://www.napit.org.uk" } }, { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "name": "NICEIC Approved", "credentialCategory": "certification", "description": "NICEIC-approved electrical contractor", "recognizedBy": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "NICEIC", "url": "https://www.niceic.com" } }, { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "name": "ISO 9001 — Quality Management", "credentialCategory": "certification", "description": "ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification — Citation ISO Certification", "recognizedBy": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Citation ISO Certification", "url": "https://www.citation.co.uk" } }, { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "name": "ISO 14001 — Environmental Management", "credentialCategory": "certification", "description": "ISO 14001 Environmental Management System certification — Citation ISO Certification", "recognizedBy": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Citation ISO Certification", "url": "https://www.citation.co.uk" } }, { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "name": "ISO 45001 — Occupational Health & Safety", "credentialCategory": "certification", "description": "ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System — Citation ISO Certification", "recognizedBy": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Citation ISO Certification", "url": "https://www.citation.co.uk" } } ], "areaServed": [ { "@type": "AdministrativeArea", "name": "Lancashire" }, { "@type": "AdministrativeArea", "name": "Greater Manchester" }, { "@type": "AdministrativeArea", "name": "Merseyside" }, { "@type": "AdministrativeArea", "name": "Cheshire" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Nelson" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Burnley" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Blackburn" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Blackpool" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Preston" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Lancaster" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Accrington" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Chorley" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Manchester" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Bolton" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Wigan" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Oldham" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Rochdale" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Stockport" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Altrincham" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Liverpool" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Southport" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "St Helens" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Warrington" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Chester" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Crewe" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Macclesfield" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Knutsford" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Wilmslow" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Wirral" } ], "knowsAbout": [ "Solar Panel Installation", "Commercial Solar PV", "Battery Storage Systems", "Air Source Heat Pumps", "EV Charging Installation", "Smart Export Guarantee", "MCS Certification", "Renewable Energy", "Energy Saving" ], "sameAs": [ "https://maps.google.com/?cid=12149377311066770099", "https://mcscertified.com/find-an-installer/", "https://www.trustmark.org.uk/find-a-tradesperson/" ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/#website", "url": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk", "name": "Alliant Energy", "inLanguage": "en-GB", "publisher": { "@id": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "Heat Pump Lead-Gen Sites vs a Local Installer: How to Tell the Difference", "description": "Heat pump lead-gen sites vs a local installer: how to tell if a 'get a quote' website is a genuine local company or a broker reselling your details.", "datePublished": "2026-09-12", "dateModified": "2026-09-12", "image": "/__l5e/assets-v1/4a844556-a4a9-4680-a2b1-9bed833ba633/ashp-boiler-grant-hero.jpg", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam", "url": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/about-us", "jobTitle": "Certified Installer" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Alliant Energy", "url": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/logo.png" } }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/guides/heat-pump-lead-gen-sites-vs-local-installer" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Guides", "item": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/guides" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Heat Pump Lead Gen Sites Vs Local Installer", "item": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/guides/heat-pump-lead-gen-sites-vs-local-installer" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "Heat Pump Lead-Gen Sites vs a Local Installer: How to Tell the Difference", "description": "A lead-gen site collects your details and resells them to several companies as a shared enquiry. A genuine local installer is the one company that will actually survey, fit and stand behind the job.", "image": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/__l5e/assets-v1/4a844556-a4a9-4680-a2b1-9bed833ba633/ashp-boiler-grant-hero.jpg", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alliant Energy Team", "url": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/about" }, "reviewedBy": { "@type": "Person", "name": "MCS Registered Engineer", "jobTitle": "MCS Registered Engineer" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Alliant Energy", "url": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://alliantenergy.co.uk/logo.png" } }, "datePublished": "2026-01-15", "dateModified": "2026-05-19" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do I know if a heat pump website is a lead-gen site or a real installer?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Check whether it publishes a fixed trading address and its own MCS number. If the homepage is only a postcode-and-details form with no mention of who installs the work, it's most likely a lead-generation site." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is it bad if a heat pump site sells my details to installers?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "It's not illegal, but it does mean you should expect calls from more than one company, and you can't verify the credentials of a specific installer until one of them actually contacts you." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What's the fastest way to check if an installer is legitimate?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Search their name or MCS number at mcscertified.com — it takes under a minute and is required for Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant eligibility, so a genuine installer can always provide it." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Why do heat pump quote websites all look the same?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Many are built on the same handful of lead-capture template platforms used across the trades industry, with the town or city name swapped based on your location — not evidence of a single company operating everywhere." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Should I get multiple heat pump quotes?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes — comparing 2-3 quotes from installers you've independently verified is sensible. The issue isn't multiple quotes, it's not knowing which company you're actually giving your details to." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does a local installer cost more than a lead-gen aggregator quote?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Not necessarily. Price depends on the job, not the marketing channel — but a directly-verified local installer lets you check credentials and reviews before you commit, which a resold lead doesn't." } } ] } ] --- [![Alliant Energy — Renewable Energy Solutions](/__l5e/assets-v1/3bd22195-cc6e-43e6-b5ff-5a808ce292d3/alliantenergyltd-2.svg)](/) [Home](/)[About](/about-us) [Services](/services) [Guides](/guides)[Case Studies](/case-study)[Book a Survey](/book-survey)[![Levelise](/__l5e/assets-v1/59fd362e-361a-47d7-ad1f-65e9beeb5289/levelise-logo.webp)](/guides/levelise-hub-explained) [01282 501589](tel:01282501589)[Get a heat pump quote →](/heat-pump-quote) ![](/__l5e/assets-v1/4a844556-a4a9-4680-a2b1-9bed833ba633/ashp-boiler-grant-hero.jpg) Heat Pump Buyer's Guide · North West England # Heat Pump Lead-Gen Sites vs a Local Installer: How to Tell the Difference A lead-gen site collects your details and resells them to several companies as a shared enquiry. A genuine local installer is the one company that will actually survey, fit and stand behind the job. By **Alliant Energy Team**· reviewed by MCS Registered Engineer Last updated 19 May 2026 [Get a written quote](/heat-pump-quote) [Request a callback](/request-callback) On this page - [The difference](#difference) - [How lead-gen works](#how) - [Why sites look the same](#identical) - [Signs of a broker](#signs) - [Verify an installer](#verify) - [Side-by-side](#compare) - [Always a bad idea?](#always-bad) - [FAQ](#faq) Ready to act? Free quote in one working day. [Get a Quote →](/quote) What's the difference between a heat pump lead-gen site and a local installer? A lead-gen site collects your details and resells them to several companies at once — a genuine local installer is the single company that will survey, fit and support the system. Key takeaways - A “get a quote” website isn't necessarily an installer. Many are lead-generation businesses whose entire service is collecting your enquiry and reselling it to several local companies at once. - That's why so many heat pump quote sites feel identical: near-identical layout, a postcode form as the whole homepage, and a headline that quietly swaps in whatever town you're searching from. - A genuine local installer has one fixed trading address you can check on Companies House, quotes their MCS number without being asked twice, and the same company surveys, installs and supports the job. - Five checks take about 15 minutes and separate the two reliably: MCS register, TrustMark/NICEIC, Companies House trading history, who actually attends the survey, and whether reviews name real installers. - Alliant Energy is a single company based at Unit 214 Northlight Industries, Nelson, covering 26 North West towns directly — with MCS, NICEIC, NAPIT, TrustMark and ISO 9001/14001/45001 accreditations published, and Google reviews naming the actual installers who did the work. ## What's the difference between a heat pump lead-gen site and a local installer? A lead-generation site is a marketing business, not a heating company. Its product is your enquiry — name, address, phone number, and what you're looking for — which it sells on to installers who pay for access to new customers. A local installer is the company that actually owns the vans, employs the engineers, and will be the one turning up at your house. Neither is automatically dishonest. Lead generation is a legitimate, openly-advertised part of the trades industry, and plenty of decent local companies buy leads this way to find new customers. The problem isn't that lead-gen exists; it's not being able to tell, from the site in front of you, whether you're talking to the company doing the work or a form that's about to hand your number to three or four of them at once. ## How do heat pump lead-generation sites actually work? The mechanics are straightforward, and not hidden. You fill in a short form — usually just a postcode and a phone number — and that enquiry is passed to a batch of local installers who've paid to receive leads in your area. That's why, after submitting one “get a free quote” form, several unrelated companies sometimes call within the hour. You didn't contact all of them; one site sold your details to all of them. This is also why the sites so often look interchangeable: many run on the same handful of template platforms built specifically for lead capture, with the visible town name swapped based on your location or search query. Homeowner forums are full of people noticing exactly this — that “every website is enter postcode and details for a quote,” with brochure content that never says who's actually doing the work. ## Why do so many “get a quote” sites look identical? Because most of them are built from the same template, by the same small number of lead-generation platforms, for the same purpose: capture the enquiry fast, before the visitor leaves the page. A genuine local installer's site usually looks different because it doesn't need to convert you in one form — it can afford to show its actual work, actual reviews, and actual address, because that's the thing selling the job, not the lead itself. ## What are the signs a site is a lead-gen broker, not an installer? - The homepage is just a form — postcode, name, number, and almost nothing about who actually installs anything. - No fixed trading address anywhere on the site. A real installer isn't shy about where they're based; a broker often has none to give. - No MCS number, or a vague “our accredited partners” line. A genuine installer's own MCS number is public and instant to give. - The town name in the headline doesn't quite fit — copy that reads like it's been dropped into a template usually has been. - You get called by more than one company after one enquiry. The clearest tell of all: your one form was sold, not answered. - Reviews point to a generic trust badge rather than a Google Business Profile with named engineers. ## How do you verify a company is a genuine local installer? The same five checks work whether you're looking at us or anyone else, and take about fifteen minutes in total. Check Where What it tells you MCS certification mcscertified.com/find-an-installer Required for Boiler Upgrade Scheme eligibility — no listing, no grant TrustMark / NICEIC or NAPIT trustmark.org.uk, niceic.com Government-endorsed consumer protection standards the company has agreed to meet Companies House find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk Confirms the company legally exists, and how long it's been trading — look for 2-3+ years Who does the survey Ask directly One company should survey, design, install and support the system — not three subcontracted parties Reviews Google Business Profile Genuine reviews usually name real engineers and specific jobs, not just star ratings on a badge Step 1 ### MCS register Search their name or MCS number at mcscertified.com. Required for BUS eligibility — no listing, no grant. Step 2 ### TrustMark / NICEIC Check trustmark.org.uk or niceic.com for government-endorsed consumer protection standards. Step 3 ### Companies House Confirm the company legally exists, and how long it's actually been trading. _Adapted from our own [installer credential checklist](/guides/how-to-check-solar-installer-credentials) and [questions to ask an installer](/guides/questions-to-ask-solar-installer-uk) guide._ ## Lead-generation site vs genuine local installer Lead-generation site Genuine local installer What happens to your details Sold or shared with several installers Go directly to the company you contacted Who contacts you Often more than one unrelated company Just them Trading address Rarely published Fixed, checkable address MCS number Not theirs to give Quoted on request Survey and install Handed off to whichever buyer takes the lead Same company, start to finish ## Is using a lead-gen site always a bad idea? Not necessarily — some are simply comparison tools that connect you to legitimate local companies, and getting a couple of extra quotes isn't a bad thing in itself. The point isn't to avoid every quote-comparison site; it's to know which kind of site you're on, so you can decide whether you're comfortable with your details being shared, and so you still run the five checks above on whichever company actually calls you back. > “A local heating engineer is always the way. Someone who is local for when something goes wrong. No one is driving a 200 mile round trip fault finding.”— UK heat pump forum comment, on a thread about identical-looking lead-gen sites ### What we'd rather you did As our own installer Adam puts it: _“If you ring us, you're speaking to the company that's going to be on your roof or in your airing cupboard. We'd rather you check our MCS number and our reviews before you call than take our word for it.”_ ### Talk to the company that'll actually do the work Alliant Energy is one fixed local company — MCS, NICEIC, NAPIT, TrustMark and ISO 9001/14001/45001 accredited, based in Nelson, covering Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire. Your enquiry comes to us, and nobody else. [Get your quote](/heat-pump-quote) [Request a callback](/request-callback) ## Heat pump installer verification questions, answered ### How do I know if a heat pump website is a lead-gen site or a real installer? Check whether it publishes a fixed trading address and its own MCS number. If the homepage is only a postcode-and-details form with no mention of who installs the work, it's most likely a lead-generation site. ### Is it bad if a heat pump site sells my details to installers? It's not illegal, but it does mean you should expect calls from more than one company, and you can't verify the credentials of a specific installer until one of them actually contacts you. ### What's the fastest way to check if an installer is legitimate? Search their name or MCS number at mcscertified.com — it takes under a minute and is required for Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant eligibility, so a genuine installer can always provide it. ### Why do heat pump quote websites all look the same? Many are built on the same handful of lead-capture template platforms used across the trades industry, with the town or city name swapped based on your location — not evidence of a single company operating everywhere. ### Should I get multiple heat pump quotes? Yes — comparing 2-3 quotes from installers you've independently verified is sensible. The issue isn't multiple quotes, it's not knowing which company you're actually giving your details to. ### Does a local installer cost more than a lead-gen aggregator quote? Not necessarily. Price depends on the job, not the marketing channel — but a directly-verified local installer lets you check credentials and reviews before you commit, which a resold lead doesn't. Related guides - [Is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme a scam? ](/guides/is-the-boiler-upgrade-scheme-a-scam) - [Boiler Upgrade Scheme 2026 — full grant guide ](/guides/boiler-upgrade-scheme-2026) - [Installer credential checklist ](/guides/how-to-check-solar-installer-credentials) - [Air source heat pump installation ](/services/heat-pumps) **Methodology:** The lead-generation mechanics described here are drawn from how these services are openly advertised to installers, plus recurring reports across UK homeowner forums. Verification steps follow the public MCS, TrustMark, NICEIC and Companies House registers, checked September 2026. Three ways to get started ## Ready to find out what solar saves you? Get a tailored quote in one working day. No obligation. No hard sell. Speak to a renewable energy engineer — not a salesperson — at a time that suits you. [Get a heat pump quote → ](/heat-pump-quote) [Request a Callback →](/request-callback) [Download Brochure →](/brochure) Accreditations ## Certified, registered, and insured. Every time. MCS certification isn't a box-ticking exercise — it qualifies your system for Smart Export Guarantee payments and government grants. Our installers are also NICEIC-approved and TrustMark-registered, and every install is fully insured. ![Citation ISO Certification: ISO 9001 quality management, ISO 14001 environmental management and ISO 45001 occupational health and safety](/__l5e/assets-v1/180183cd-e6fd-4b0a-984c-83e6a41390d7/accreditations-iso.jpg) ![Alliant Energy — Renewable Energy Solutions](/assets/logo-IFrgP5Dc.png) Renewable energy & energy-saving specialists. MCS-registered solar PV, battery storage, heat pumps and EV charging across the UK. #### Quick Links - [Home](/) - [About Us](/about-us) - [Services](/services) - [Case Studies](/case-study) - [Areas We Cover](/solar-panel-quotes-north-west) - [Contact](/contact) - [Privacy Policy](/privacy) - [Terms & Conditions](/terms) #### Services - [Solar for Homes](/services/solar) - [Commercial Solar](/services/commercial-solar) - [Battery Storage](/services/battery-storage) - [Air Source Heat Pumps](/services/heat-pumps) - [EV Charging](/services/ev-charging) - [Energy Saving Advice](/services/energy-saving-advice) - [Landlord Electrical Compliance](/services/landlord-electrical-compliance) #### Contact - [01282 501589](tel:01282501589) - [info@alliantenergy.co.uk](mailto:info@alliantenergy.co.uk) - Unit 214 Northlight Industries, Pendle Road, Brierfield, Nelson BB9 5FL [Get a Quote](/quote)[Brochure](/brochure) Alliant Energy Ltd is an Introducer Appointed Representative (Financial Services Register No. 1020779) of Phoenix Financial Consultants Limited (Phoenix). Phoenix is a credit broker, not a lender. Phoenix is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 539195), and offers finance from its panel of lenders. All finance subject to status and credit checks. © 2026 Alliant Energy Ltd. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy](/privacy)[Terms & Conditions](/terms) MCS Registered · TrustMark · NICEIC [Call](tel:01282501589)[Get a heat pump quote](/heat-pump-quote) [Get a heat pump quote](/heat-pump-quote) [Call 01282 501589](tel:01282501589)