How to Get More HVAC Customers in 2026

HVAC is one of the fastest-growing trades in the UK right now. Heat pumps, air conditioning, ventilation — demand is climbing year on year, and government grants are pushing even more homeowners towards heat pump installations. If you're an HVAC engineer, there's never been a better time to grow your business.

But more demand also means more competition. Here's how to make sure you're the one getting the calls.

1. Get Your Google Business Profile Right

When a homeowner needs air conditioning installed or a business needs a ventilation system serviced, Google is the first place they look. Your Google Business Profile puts you in the map pack at the top of search results.

To make the most of it:

• Choose the right categories — "HVAC contractor" as primary, with secondary categories like "Air conditioning contractor," "Heat pump supplier," and "Ventilation cleaning service"
• List every service you offer — air conditioning installation, heat pump installation, ventilation systems, refrigeration, maintenance contracts, F-Gas servicing
• Add real photos — completed installations, indoor and outdoor units, commercial systems. Show the range of work you do
• Post regularly — completed projects, seasonal tips ("Is your AC ready for summer?"), heat pump grant information
• Cover your full service area — if you work across multiple towns, make sure your profile reflects that

A complete, active profile is the foundation of your online presence.

2. Display Your Certifications Prominently

HVAC is a regulated trade. Customers and commercial clients need to know you're properly qualified. Your key certifications should be impossible to miss:

• F-Gas certification — legally required for working with refrigerants. Display your registration number
• REFCOM membership — the register of companies competent to handle refrigerants. Commercial clients specifically look for this
• MCS certification — if you install renewable heating systems (heat pumps), MCS certification is essential. It's also required for customers to access government grants
• Gas Safe — if you also do gas work, display your registration
• Manufacturer accreditations — Daikin, Mitsubishi, Samsung, LG approved installer status carries weight

These should be on your HVAC website, your Google Business Profile, your Checkatrade listing, and your van.

3. Build a Professional Website

HVAC work increasingly comes from commercial clients — offices, restaurants, shops, warehouses. These clients don't use Checkatrade. They Google "air conditioning installation [city]" and look for a professional company with the right credentials.

Your HVAC website needs to:

• Separate residential and commercial services — different customers have different needs. Dedicated pages for each make you look like a specialist, not a generalist
• Display all certifications — F-Gas, REFCOM, MCS, manufacturer accreditations
• Show case studies — commercial projects with photos and descriptions. A restaurant owner wants to see you've done restaurant installations before
• Include clear service pages — air conditioning, heat pumps, ventilation, refrigeration, maintenance. Each page targets different search terms
• Have a professional design — commercial clients judge you by your website. A cheap template site suggests a cheap operation

A hand-coded website built with SEO in mind will outperform any template site, loading faster and ranking better on Google.

4. Target Both Residential and Commercial

Many HVAC engineers focus on one or the other, but the best businesses serve both markets. Each has distinct advantages:

Residential:

• Heat pump installations are booming thanks to government grants
• Air conditioning is becoming standard in new builds and renovations
• Homeowners search Google and Checkatrade
• Higher volume, lower average job value

Commercial:

• Office AC installations, restaurant ventilation, server room cooling
• Higher job values — a single commercial project can be worth months of residential work
• Commercial clients search Google and want professional websites
• Maintenance contracts provide recurring revenue

Your marketing should target both. Separate website pages, separate Google Ads campaigns, and different messaging for each audience.

5. Use Local SEO to Capture Searches

People searching for HVAC services use specific terms. Target these on your website:

• "Air conditioning installation [your city]"
• "Heat pump installer [your area]"
• "HVAC near me"
• "Commercial air conditioning [your city]"
• "Air conditioning maintenance [your area]"
• "Ventilation system installation"

Create dedicated pages for each service and each area you cover. A page for "Air Conditioning Installation in Leeds" and another for "Heat Pump Installation in Leeds" target different customers with different needs.

Blog content works brilliantly for HVAC. Write about topics like "How much does air conditioning cost to run?", "Air source heat pump vs gas boiler," or "Do I need planning permission for a heat pump?" Each post targets searches your potential customers are making.

6. Leverage Heat Pump Grants as a Marketing Angle

The UK government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers grants of £7,500 towards heat pump installations. This is a massive marketing opportunity.

Use it in your advertising:

• Create a dedicated page on your website explaining the grant, eligibility, and how you handle the application
• Run Google Ads targeting "heat pump grant," "BUS grant," "free heat pump" (people search this even though it's not free)
• Post about it on social media regularly — many homeowners still don't know the grant exists
• Position yourself as the expert who handles everything, including the grant paperwork

Being MCS certified is essential here — customers can only access the grant through MCS-certified installers. If you've got the certification, shout about it. It's a competitive advantage many HVAC engineers haven't capitalised on.

7. Checkatrade and Trade Directories

Checkatrade works well for residential HVAC work, especially air conditioning installation. Homeowners trust the platform and the reviews.

To get the most from it:

• Link your website — HVAC companies with professional websites get more enquiries
• List specific services — "Air conditioning installation," "Heat pump installation," "AC servicing" rather than just "HVAC"
• Upload project photos — before and after shots of installations
• Collect reviews consistently — ask every customer

Remember: commercial clients don't use Checkatrade. For commercial work, your website and Google Business Profile are what matter.

8. Google Ads for Quick Wins

Google Ads put you at the top of search results immediately. For HVAC, this works particularly well for:

• Seasonal searches — air conditioning enquiries spike in spring and summer. Ramp up ads in April
• Emergency repairs — "AC not working" or "air conditioning repair" are high-intent searches
• Heat pump searches — people researching heat pumps are often ready to get quotes

Send ad traffic to your HVAC website, not your Checkatrade profile. On your website, you control the experience and there are no competitors on the page.

9. Maintenance Contracts = Recurring Revenue

This is the golden ticket for HVAC businesses. Air conditioning systems need annual servicing. Heat pumps need maintenance. Commercial ventilation systems need regular cleaning and inspection.

Maintenance contracts provide:

• Predictable monthly income — smooth out the seasonal ups and downs
• Customer retention — a client on a maintenance contract isn't shopping around for another HVAC company
• Upsell opportunities — servicing visits often reveal upgrade or replacement needs
• Year-round work — summer is installation season, but servicing happens all year

Promote maintenance contracts on your website, mention them after every installation, and price them attractively. A steady base of maintenance contracts transforms an HVAC business from feast-or-famine to consistently profitable.

10. Referrals and Partnerships

Build relationships that generate ongoing work:

• Builders and developers — new builds increasingly include air conditioning and heat pumps. Get on builders' preferred contractor lists
• Architects — they specify HVAC systems and recommend installers to their clients
• Property management companies — they manage commercial buildings that need regular HVAC maintenance
• Other tradesmen — electricians, plumbers, and gas engineers get asked for HVAC recommendations. Return the favour

The Bottom Line

HVAC is a growth industry. Heat pumps, air conditioning, and ventilation are in higher demand than ever. The engineers who build a proper online presence — professional website, optimised Google profile, strong reviews, and smart marketing — will capture the lion's share of that demand.

Don't leave it to chance. Build the systems that bring customers to you consistently.

If you want a professional HVAC website built to bring in both residential and commercial customers, we can have you online in 7 days. One-time payment, no monthly fees, and built by a developer who understands what HVAC engineers need.

Axel

Full-stack developer specializing in Shopify and Django. Building automated e-commerce solutions.