Recommended installers / Scotland / RCA Plumbing & Heating

RCA Plumbing & HeatingOur recommended installer for Forth Valley

Heat Geek accredited, MCS certified and Vaillant accredited engineers, fitting Vaillant air source heat pumps across Stirling, Falkirk, Alloa and Clackmannanshire since 2019.

4.9 out of 5 from over 300 reviews
Heat Geek accredited
MCS certified
Vaillant accredited
Gas Safe registered

Our recommended installer

Meet RCA Plumbing & Heating

Quick answer

Looking for a heat pump installer in Forth Valley? We recommend RCA Plumbing & Heating. They are Heat Geek accredited, MCS certified and Vaillant accredited, and they can guide you through Home Energy Scotland funding.

RCA Plumbing & Heating has been keeping Central Scotland warm since 2019. Founder and lead engineer Ryan Andrews and his team work from Tullibody near Alloa and cover the whole of Forth Valley, from Stirling and Dunblane to Falkirk, Grangemouth and Clackmannanshire, with work reaching Perth and West Lothian too.

Every heat pump starts with a room-by-room heat loss calculation and a system designed to run at low flow temperatures. They also fit and service boilers, run care plans and take on everyday plumbing, so one local team can look after your heating for years to come.

Ryan Andrews
Ryan AndrewsFounder and lead engineer, RCA Plumbing & Heating
Areas RCA cover
  • Stirling
  • Falkirk
  • Alloa
  • Dunblane
  • Bridge of Allan
  • Larbert
  • Grangemouth
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Perth

Reviews

What RCA's customers say

Rated 4.9 out of 5 from over 300 customer reviews

Services

What RCA do

Heat pumps are their main focus, with Vaillant boilers too, and they guide you through Home Energy Scotland funding.

Heat pump installation

Vaillant aroTHERM air source heat pumps, designed room by room around your home.

See the heat pumps

New boilers

Vaillant ecoTEC and ecoFIT boilers, fitted and serviced.

See the boilers

Home Energy Scotland funding

Up to £7,500 grant plus an optional £7,500 interest-free loan.

See the funding

Heat pumps

The heat pumps RCA install

RCA specialise in Vaillant air source heat pumps. They have fitted the aroTHERM plus from 3.5kW to 7kW across Central Scotland, and they also fit the aroTHERM Split.

Most fittedVaillant aroTHERM plus

Vaillant

aroTHERM plus

Vaillant's monobloc heat pump, using natural R290 refrigerant. It reaches flow temperatures up to 75°C, so it suits older homes as well as new ones.

Type
Monobloc, R290 refrigerant
Sizes
3.5kW to 12kW
RCA have fitted
3.5kW, 5kW and 7kW
Guarantee
Up to 7 years available
Read our Vaillant heat pump guide →
Vaillant aroTHERM Split

Vaillant

aroTHERM Split

A compact outdoor unit linked to an indoor unit by refrigerant pipes. A good fit where water pipes can't easily run outside the home.

Type
Split system
Best for
Tighter outdoor spaces
Guarantee
Up to 7 years available
Read our Vaillant heat pump guide →

Exact models, sizes and guarantees are confirmed in your quote. See the funding options →

Heat pump funding in Scotland

Home Energy Scotland grant and loan

RCA are MCS certified, so their heat pump installations can be funded through the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme. These are the options and how it works.

£7,500
Heat pump grant

Towards an air, ground or water source heat pump in the home you live in.

+£1,500
Rural uplift

Takes the grant to £9,000 for remote rural and island homes, and rural homes off the gas grid. Checked by postcode.

£7,500
Interest-free loan

Optional, on top of the grant, if the installation costs more. You can pay it off early with no penalty.

Up to 100%
Of your quote

Funding can cover the whole quoted cost, up to the limits. RCA's Blackford job cost the homeowner £0 upfront.

How much you could get

Your homeGrantInterest-free loanTotal
StandardUp to £7,500Up to £7,500Up to £15,000
With the rural upliftUp to £9,000Up to £7,500Up to £16,500

The loan has a 1.5% admin fee, capped at £150, with up to 5 years to repay under £5,000 and up to 10 years from £5,000. Credit and affordability checks apply.

Usually eligible

  • You own the home and it's your main residence
  • It's an existing home in Scotland
  • The heat pump provides all of your heating and hot water
  • The installer and the heat pump are MCS certified
  • You don't need to be on benefits

Not eligible

  • Holiday homes, second homes and self-builds
  • Hybrid heat pumps and air-to-air systems
  • Replacing an existing heat pump (loan only, no grant)
  • Any work started before your written offer

How the funding works

1

Check you're eligible

Call the Home Energy Scotland advice line on 0808 808 2282. An adviser checks your eligibility, including the rural uplift.

2

Get a survey and quote

RCA survey your home and give you a written, itemised quote for the heat pump installation.

3

Apply and sign your offer

You apply through the Home Energy Scotland portal with the quote. No work can start until your written offer is signed.

4

Install and claim

Once it's installed, claim with the invoice, the MCS certificate and a post-installation EPC. You have nine months from your offer.

Figures from Home Energy Scotland, checked October 2026. Funding runs each financial year and is subject to eligibility and availability.

Boilers

The boilers RCA fit

RCA fit Vaillant boilers, and service and look after them for years after the install.

Vaillant ecoTEC plus

Vaillant

ecoTEC plus

Vaillant's premium gas boiler, for homes that want strong hot water performance.

Range
Premium
Types
Combi, system or heat only
Best for
Most homes, including larger ones
Read our Vaillant boiler guide →
Vaillant ecoFIT pure

Vaillant

ecoFIT pure

Vaillant's entry-level gas boiler, compact enough to fit in a kitchen cupboard.

Range
Entry level
Types
Combi, system or heat only
Best for
Smaller homes and tighter budgets
Read our Vaillant boiler guide →

Recent jobs

Recent heat pump jobs by RCA

A few of the heat pumps RCA have fitted across Central Scotland, taken from their own case studies.

Vaillant aroTHERM plus 7kW heat pump at the back of a bungalow in California, Falkirk

California, Falkirk

From storage heaters to a heat pump

A bungalow came off its old electric storage heaters and got a full wet central heating system, with new radiators and pipework, powered by a 7kW aroTHERM plus and a 175 litre Vaillant cylinder.

7kW aroTHERM plus£9,000 grant with rural uplift
Ryan from RCA with the customer after a heat pump installation in Blackford, Perthshire

Blackford, Perthshire

Oil to heat pump, £0 upfront

Other contractors had said a heat pump wasn't possible here. RCA's room-by-room heat loss calculations proved otherwise, and a 3.5kW aroTHERM plus now works alongside the home's solar PV and battery.

3.5kW aroTHERM plus£8,750 rural grant covered it
Heat Geek ZeroDisrupt heat pump installation in Bathgate

Bathgate, West Lothian

RCA's first Heat Geek ZeroDisrupt job

A Vaillant air source heat pump fitted neatly at the side of the house, with the cylinder and pipework inside, planned to keep disruption in the home to a minimum.

Vaillant air source heat pumpHeat Geek ZeroDisrupt
Vaillant heat pump installation in Menstrie, Clackmannanshire

Menstrie, Clackmannanshire

Gas boiler to heat pump, solar and battery

A 20 year old gas boiler was replaced with a 5kW aroTHERM plus and a 220 litre uniSTOR Pure cylinder. Six of the nine radiators were upgraded so the system runs at a 45°C flow temperature.

5kW aroTHERM plus£7,500 Home Energy Scotland grant

Social media

Latest from RCA on social media

See RCA's latest heat pump and heating jobs from their Facebook and Instagram pages.

Social feed coming soon
RCA Plumbing & Heating social media feed

Accreditations

Trained, certified and accredited

These are the accreditations RCA Plumbing & Heating hold, as listed on their own website.

Heat Geek logoHeat Geek accredited
MCS logoMCS certified
Vaillant logoVaillant accredited
Gas Safe Register logoGas Safe registered
Worcester Bosch logoWorcester Bosch WAI
Glow-worm logoGlow-worm accredited
Legionella control logoLegionella risk inspection

FAQs

Common questions about RCA

Can I get a Home Energy Scotland grant for a heat pump?

Eligible Scottish homeowners can currently receive up to £7,500 grant funding towards an air source heat pump, with an optional interest-free loan of up to £7,500 on top. You do not need to be receiving benefits to apply. Funding must be approved before installation begins, and RCA Plumbing & Heating can guide you through it.

Is there extra funding for rural homes in Forth Valley?

Yes. Homeowners in qualifying rural and island areas could receive an increased grant of up to £9,000 through the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme. Funding is subject to eligibility and availability, so check before work is planned. RCA Plumbing & Heating can talk you through the options.

Does RCA cover the whole of Forth Valley?

Yes. RCA Plumbing & Heating covers the whole of Forth Valley, including Stirling, Falkirk, Alloa, Dunblane, Bridge of Allan, Larbert, Grangemouth and all of Clackmannanshire. Their heat pump projects also include Blackford in Perthshire and Bathgate in West Lothian, so it is worth asking if you are nearby.

Can a heat pump replace storage heaters?

It can. One of RCA Plumbing & Heating's recent projects replaced storage heaters with an air source heat pump in California, near Falkirk. A heat loss survey shows what your home needs, including any new radiators or pipework, before you receive a written quotation for the work.

Does the Boiler Upgrade Scheme apply in Scotland?

No. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme only covers England and Wales. In Scotland, heat pump funding comes through the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme instead, and RCA Plumbing & Heating can help you apply before installation.

Get in touch

Send RCA an enquiry

Tell us a little about what you need and we will pass your details straight to RCA Plumbing & Heating. They will be in touch to talk it through and arrange a survey.

  • We only share your details with RCA Plumbing & Heating
  • No obligation to go ahead
  • Help with Home Energy Scotland funding
  • Rated 4.9 out of 5 by customers

We only recommend installers we know and work with. RCA Plumbing & Heating carry out the survey, quote and installation, and your contract is with them.

Visit the RCA Plumbing & Heating website
Form coming soon
RCA Plumbing & Heating enquiry form (RCA-HES01)

More recommended installers

Looking somewhere else?

See our other recommended installers in Scotland, or browse every region.