The two coastal boroughs
| Measure | Sefton | Wirral | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households | 123,075 | 143,253 | 24,783,199 |
| Purpose-built flats | 13.6% | 11.9% | 16.7% |
| Detached | 16.2% | 17.4% | 23.2% |
| Electric heating only | 5.4% | 4.8% | 8.5% |
| No gas meter (2024) | 5.62% | 4.88% | - |
| Owned | 66.6% | 65.0% | 61.6% |
| Private rent | 18.2% | 18.9% | 20.3% |
| Heat pumps paid (BUS) | 185 | 257 | - |
| Listed-building records | 568 | 736 | - |
The figures are for each borough as a whole, not just the coastal strip, but they point the same way: more flats, more owner-occupiers and more listed buildings than St Helens, Knowsley or Halton, and in Sefton's case more electric heating too.
Salt and the outdoor unit
Air near the sea carries salt, which is harder on metal fins, casings and fixings than inland air. That does not rule out an air source heat pump, but it changes the questions to ask. Is the chosen model suited to a coastal site, and does it have a protective coating? Does the manufacturer's warranty treat coastal installations differently, and what maintenance does it require? Can the unit go on the side of the house away from the sea, where it gets some shelter? A unit facing straight into sea spray will need more care over its life.
Wind and position
Open seafronts are windy. A strong wind blowing straight into the front of a unit can disturb the airflow it relies on, and exposed positions also carry sound further. A sheltered side or rear wall, with clear space in front of the unit for air to flow, is usually better than the most exposed corner. Any screening has to leave the airflow clear and should be included in the MCS 020 a) sound calculation if it counts as a barrier.
Flats on the front
Purpose-built flats house 13.6% of Sefton's households and 11.9% of Wirral's. For a flat owner, the outside of the building usually belongs to the freeholder or is managed by a company, so an outdoor unit needs their agreement, and Class G allows only one unit on a block, no larger than 0.6 cubic metres. In practice that pushes blocks towards a single shared approach: a communal system, a heat network, or individual units agreed for the whole building. An electric-heated flat with no space for a unit may only suit air-to-air units inside, which the Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not cover.
Seafront streets and planning
Seafront promenades and older resort streets are often protected. If a road is in a conservation area, Class G does not allow a unit on any wall or roof that fronts it, and a unit may not sit closer to the road than the house. Listed villas and terraces need planning permission whatever the position. Wirral and Sefton hold 1,304 listed-building records between them; check the list and the council's conservation area map before you plan the position.
Milder winters
Coastal air is usually a little milder in winter than air inland, and an air source heat pump works more efficiently when the outside air is warmer. That advantage is real but modest, and it does not replace a proper heat-loss survey and design for the house in question.
Grants on the coast
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is the same on the coast as anywhere else: £7,500 through an MCS certified installer. For the Warm Homes: Local Grant, Sefton's coast is served by the council's own Retrofit Team and Wirral's by the combined authority; the routes page explains both.
If you want a price for a heat pump on a coastal flat or house, or the questions above have no easy answer, the form at the foot of this page reaches us, and we reply by email.