EPC Improvements – Our Nightmare Heat Pump Installation Experience
It’s taken me nearly two years to write this review, not because I wasn’t frustrated or upset sooner, but because I wanted to gather accurate, comprehensive evidence before writing this review.
I contracted EPC Improvements to install a Samsung air source heat pump as part of my effort to transition away from gas for environmental and economic reasons. What I received was a system that consistently underperforms, costing far more to run than promised and operating at a measured SCOP of 2.23, a far cry from the 3.92 figure EPC projected or the 3.01 minimum SCOP Samsung claim is achievable even at 65°C.
The heat pump consumes roughly 75% of our household electricity, invalidating the environmental and financial justification to switch. EPC’s response has been to deflect, delay, and ultimately deny responsibility, even misrepresenting data collected by the Samsung-provided monitoring system used to assess the unit’s performance.
One of the worst aspects of this experience was a serious safety hazard that EPC left unresolved. A radiator installed using incorrect fixings became increasingly unstable. I flagged this issue multiple times, in November 2023, March 2024, and April 2024, yet EPC only responded on 28th June, after a four-month silence. Tragically, I missed their email, and the radiator fell on 30th July, injuring my three-year-old daughter and causing her ongoing pain and distress for months. Over a year later, that radiator remains zip-tied to a wooden block in my home.
I’ve had to go to extraordinary lengths to move this forward. I commissioned one of the UK’s top heating engineers, the individual who wrote the very material used to train Heat Geek engineers (a certification EPC once held before being removed from their approved list). His report confirms what I had feared: the buffer is the wrong type, the primary pump is for gas boilers, not heat pumps, glycol was incorrectly used, and every radiator is undersized. It's no wonder the system struggles.
To EPC’s credit, their on-site workmanship (pipework and connections) was praised by the expert as high quality. But sadly, good pipe soldering doesn’t compensate for poor system design, unsafe installations, or inadequate customer care.
A Message to EPC:
The expert I hired was willing to advise you directly on what’s needed to fix this, but based on how poorly you’ve handled things so far, I had no faith that you’d listen. That offer still stands, should you decide to change course.
The basic remedial actions required include:
- Replacing the buffer with a properly designed volumizer
- Swapping the Grundfos UPS3 pump (a gas boiler pump) for a UPM4XL designed for heat pumps
- Removing all glycol and using proper anti-freeze valves
- Re-evaluating and resizing all radiators
- And potentially checking whether the heat pump itself is faulty, given its repeated early failures and current performance
Final Thoughts:
What disheartens me most isn’t just the technical failings of the system, but the attitude EPC have shown throughout, a refusal to engage constructively, misleading explanations, and a total lack of accountability for an installation that has physically harmed a child and continues to financially and environmentally underdeliver.
If you're considering a heat pump and value safety, honesty, and post-installation support, look elsewhere. Given Samsung’s limited interest and support during this ordeal, I also strongly suggest choosing a brand like Vaillant, whose performance and installer networks seem far more robust.
In addition to the heat pump, I had also contracted EPC Improvements to install a large solar panel and battery system for a total quoted cost of £25,274, bringing the combined value of both installations to just under £50,000. Needless to say, I cancelled the solar installation, forfeiting the insurance fee, and instead went with a different installer. This turned out to be the best decision: I received double the number of panels, a higher-quality European bifacial brand, and battery for the same price.
Given that experience, I can only imagine how much I was overcharged for the heat pump.
UPDATE 27th June 2025:
EPC Improvements claggenged our claim with misleading assertions regarding the Samsung Heat Pump installation.
Incorrect Claims by EPC (quoted by MBNA):
"With regards to the system's efficiency, we are unable to agree that the system is not working to the correct efficiency as it appears that 2 of the modes have been changed since installation and these are impacting the system's efficiency:
1. Taken out of weather compensation mode
2. Fixed flow mode activated"
Clarification:
- There is only one operational mode selectable from three possible options at any given time: Room Temperature Thermostat, Weather Compensation / Water Law as named by Samsung, or Fixed Flow / Water Outlet as named by Samsung.
- EPC Improvements themselves configured the heat pump on the default setting (Room Temperature Thermostat mode). To change and configure the system to enable multiple mode selections from the main menu would require detailed technical knowledge of the engineer settings, which neither myself nor anyone else in my household possessed at the time (October 2023). Until a professional heating engineer reviewed the system on 1st May 2025, where he explained the difference and showed me how to switch between Room Temperature and Water Law (Weather Compensation).
- Samsung's documentation clearly specifies that even when the system is run at the highest flow rate of 65°C, the minimum achievable SCOP should still be no lower than 3.01.
- System Settings and Evidence:
- Attached photo dated 22nd October 2023 demonstrate that the heat pump was operating in room temperature mode (Samsung's default mode) as initially set by EPC.
- The water outlet temperature never reached 40°C+, further proving it was never set to fixed flow mode, as fixed flow would require specific adjustments visible on the controller.
- The heat pump remains configured exactly as EPC Improvements set it upon commissioning in September 2023, using default settings as outlined in the Samsung manual.
- The "Room Temperature" mode (used by EPC at installation) is the default setting according to the Samsung Heat Pump manual and is an approved operational mode by Samsung.
Impact and Evidence:
- Our heating system has been continuously inadequate, causing reliance on supplemental heating sources, significantly increasing our energy costs.
- EPC Improvements have failed repeatedly to address critical system flaws clearly identified by an independent heating engineer (report previously supplied).
- In addition to everything above, our Heat Pump became faulty and ceased functioning between 22nd October and 9th November. Following advice from Samsung, the system was manually rewired by altering pin connections on the internal motherboard to Emergency Hot Water Supply. For 19 days we experienced extreme discomfort, with indoor temperatures around 12c, despite the presence of three-year-old children in the household. At no point during or after this period, did EPC offer any form of compensation for the hardship endured. No reimbursement was offered for the cost of oil-filled and space heaters, which totalled approximately £5000, and were essential to maintaining basic indoor warmth.
