The cheapest heat battery quote may simply omit work included elsewhere. Compare the design and scope before comparing the total at the bottom.
What every quote should identify
- exact product, model and revision
- job served: hot water, space heating or both
- design demand and sizing assumptions
- charge power, schedule and depleted-store behaviour
- plumbing, electrical and control work
- removal, disposal and making good
- certificates, commissioning and warranty registration
- exclusions, provisional sums, VAT and payment stages
Citizens Advice distinguishes a fixed quote from an estimate and recommends getting the scope and price in writing.
Compare promised outcomes
Ask each installer to state flow performance, usable capacity or cold-day duration under the conditions relevant to your home. A model name alone is not an outcome.
Deposits and stages
Understand what a deposit buys, when ownership of equipment passes to you, cancellation terms and how later payments connect to completed milestones. This is general consumer information; use Citizens Advice for current guidance on your circumstances.
Warranties
Separate product, workmanship and third-party component warranties. Record who responds first, travel charges, required servicing and what happens if the installer stops trading.
Variations
Require written approval before additional work begins. The quote should explain foreseeable contingencies such as consumer-unit upgrades or pipe replacement.
Your next step
Create a comparison table with one row per scope item and one column per bidder. Leave blanks visible; do not treat silence as included.
Sources
Primary and independent references checked by our editorial team.
- Before you get work done on your home — Citizens Advice Checked 10 Nov 2026
- Installing renewable technology at home — Energy Saving Trust Checked 10 Nov 2026