Working file M2.1
MVHR installation cost (UK 2026)
MVHR installation cost: installed cost range with each end sourced.
Cost in 2026
MVHR installation cost (UK 2026). The published installed range in 2026 is £5,500 to £11,000 installed for a typical 3-bed (Passivhaus Trust v1.3 Jan 2026). Both ends of that range are stated rather than collapsed to a midpoint, because the spread reflects real differences in scope, access and grant eligibility rather than installer mark-up.
What drives the spread
- Unit class: 80 percent recovery vs 90 percent plus.
- Ductwork: chased into walls and floors vs surface-run in service zones.
- Commissioning: a properly commissioned MVHR is the differentiator between the published SCOP and the delivered SCOP.
- Maintenance over a 10-year horizon: filter changes and balancing.
Where it sits in the PAS 2035 sequence
MVHR is only worth installing where airtightness is at or under 3 m³/h.m² at 50 Pa. Below that, the heat recovery does not pay back.
Surveyed 1 October 2026. Ofgem cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 applied (gas 7.97p, elec 26.32p, gas standing 29.68p, elec standing 54.83p). Next scheduled review 25 November 2026 (January cap announcement). [ref M2.1]
By Oliver Wakefield-Smith, Founder, Digital Signet. Corrections to oliver at digitalsignet dot com.