How our evidence method works

Home Upgrade Desk owns and maintains this method. We turn a small set of household facts into a directional next step, explain the uncertainty and link to the evidence needed for a real decision.

Which evidence takes priority?

We start with current official guidance and recognised standards for safety, eligibility, grants, regulation and technical claims. Other claims need independent publisher support. Manufacturer information can describe a product, but cannot establish a broad outcome on its own. Community discussions can add experience and context, but cannot decide safety, eligibility, cost, savings or suitability.

How is an answer assembled?

Each material claim is mapped to its sources. Independence is counted by publisher, not by the number of pages from the same publisher. A publishable answer needs evidence from at least two publishers, explicit limitations and a future evidence-check date. Credible disagreement must be acknowledged on the answer rather than smoothed away.

How does the checker reach a result?

The checker uses explicit, versioned rules rather than a hidden score. It first respects safety and England boundaries. It then considers boiler condition, property fabric, space and priorities to distinguish a credible repair route, a heat-pump assessment route, or a replacement investigation. “Unknown” remains visible and never becomes a favourable assumption.

How do evidence checks and corrections work?

Every answer shows when it was published, when its evidence was researched and when that evidence must next be checked. Time-sensitive funding content has a shorter interval. An answer that passes its next-check date, loses required support or no longer applies to England is withheld until the problem is resolved. Material corrections are recorded in the answer’s update history; an evidence recheck alone does not change its substantive update date.

How is research kept separate from revenue?

Home Upgrade Desk controls its method, source selection and published conclusions. A commercial relationship cannot buy a favourable route, suppress a limitation or decide which evidence qualifies. Any active affiliate link must be labelled before the click.

What are the limits?

Online guidance cannot replace heat-loss calculations, a heating-system survey, fault diagnosis or a written quote. We do not guarantee grant eligibility, payback, running cost or property suitability. A professional remains responsible for regulated work and system design.

Corrections can be raised through the contact route published by Home Upgrade Desk when it becomes available. Until then, no contact details are collected. Key references include the GOV.UK heat-pump suitability service, Ofgem scheme guidance, and MCS Heat Emitter Guide.