Grant Aerona vs Mitsubishi Ecodan UK 2026

Grant Engineering is a British family-owned heating manufacturer based in Cookstown, Northern Ireland. Originally focused on oil boilers (Grant Vortex is one of the UK's best-known oil boiler ranges), the brand expanded into heat pumps with the Aerona range targeted at off-grid + oil-conversion households. Strong rural installer network in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and rural England.

Mitsubishi Electric is a Japanese heating + air-conditioning major. The Ecodan range has been installed in the UK since 2008, making it one of the longest-established heat pump brands in the UK market. Manufactured in Livingston, Scotland (Mitsubishi's European production hub). Broad installer coverage across all UK regions including urban + suburban areas.

Grant Aerona (UK 2026 range):

• Aerona 5kW / 7kW / 9kW / 13kW / 17kW (R32 refrigerant; broad sizing from small properties to larger off-grid homes)
• Aerona R290 6kW / 9kW / 12kW (newer R290 variant with improved cold-weather performance)

Mitsubishi Ecodan (UK 2026 range):

• Ecodan PUZ 5kW / 6kW / 8kW / 11.2kW / 14kW (R32; the long-standing mainstream range)
• Ecodan Hybrid R290 5kW / 8kW / 11kW (R290; premium variant with better cold-weather + lower GWP)

Both brands cover the typical UK 3-bed sweet spot (5-9kW). Mitsubishi's R32 PUZ range has 16+ years of UK installations + accumulated installer familiarity; Grant's R290 range is newer + designed specifically for cold-weather + off-grid use cases.

Grant Aerona warranty (UK 2026): 5-year baseline warranty + extendable to 7 years with annual service via Grant Approved installer. Standard for the UK mid-market.

Mitsubishi Ecodan warranty (UK 2026): 5-year baseline warranty on Ecodan PUZ + 7 years on Ecodan Hybrid. Annual service required by an MELCloud-certified engineer.

Both manufacturers require annual servicing by a brand-trained engineer (universal across UK heat pump brands - see our servicing guide).

Service network depth: Mitsubishi has the larger UK installer base (~800+ MELCloud-certified engineers + a strong technical-support phone line that's well-regarded in the trade). Grant has a more concentrated network (~400 Grant Approved installers) with strong rural Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales coverage but lower density in London + South-East England.

Typical UK 2026 installed prices for an 8 kW heat pump (typical 3-bed semi heat demand) before BUS grant:

• Grant Aerona 9kW (R32) installed: GBP 9,500-12,000
• Grant Aerona R290 9kW installed: GBP 10,500-13,000
• Mitsubishi Ecodan PUZ 8.5kW (R32) installed: GBP 10,500-13,000
• Mitsubishi Ecodan Hybrid R290 8kW installed: GBP 11,500-14,500

After the £7,500 BUS grant, net cost ranges:

• Grant Aerona PUZ: ~GBP 2,000-4,500 net
• Grant Aerona R290: ~GBP 3,000-5,500 net
• Mitsubishi PUZ: ~GBP 3,000-5,500 net
• Mitsubishi Hybrid R290: ~GBP 4,000-7,000 net

Grant runs ~GBP 1,000-1,500 cheaper installed across most equivalent-capacity comparisons. This reflects Grant's lower wholesale pricing + lower installer-margin assumptions vs Mitsubishi.

Mitsubishi MELCloud: the longest-established UK heat pump app (in active development since 2014). Covers scheduling, weather compensation, holiday mode, energy monitoring with multi-zone support. Established Home Assistant integration via well-maintained community plugin. The MELCloud Wi-Fi adapter is a separate accessory (~GBP 70-100).

Grant Aerona controls: simpler integrated control panel + Grant's mobile app. Functional + covers the basics (schedule, weather comp, holiday mode) but feature-light compared to MELCloud's depth. Home Assistant integration exists via community plugin but less mature than Mitsubishi's.

For households prioritising smart-home depth, Mitsubishi's ecosystem is more developed. For households wanting simpler operation + minimal app dependency, Grant's controls are easier to operate without a smartphone.

Pick Grant Aerona if:

• You're converting from oil heating - Grant's heritage + installer base is strongest here.
• You're in a rural location (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, rural England) where Grant Approved installers have denser coverage than Mitsubishi.
• You want lower upfront installed cost - Grant runs 5-12% cheaper across equivalent capacities.
• You prefer simpler controls + want minimal smart-app dependency.

Pick Mitsubishi Ecodan if:

• You're in an urban / suburban area where Mitsubishi has stronger installer coverage.
• You want the longest-established UK heat pump brand with the largest accumulated installer expertise (16+ years of UK Ecodan installs).
• You want the most-mature smart-home + Home Assistant integration (MELCloud).
• You're going for premium R290 + the Ecodan Hybrid + extended 7-year warranty is your priority.

Skip both and look at alternatives if:

• Neither has an installer within 60 minutes of your postcode - consider Vaillant aroTHERM, Daikin Altherma, or Octopus Cosy 6.
• You want the most-integrated UK smart-home + tariff option - Octopus Cosy 6 wins on that axis (native Cosy Octopus tariff integration).