Individual units or one shared system? The right answer depends on your building, your tenants and how you want to handle billing.
Written by the March Technology Technical Team · Last Updated: July 2026 · 6 min read
Individual per-unit heat pumps mean each tenant's electricity bill reflects their own hot water use, which is simple to manage but costs more in total equipment across a whole block. A shared, centralized system is usually more cost-efficient overall, but requires the landlord or body corporate to agree a fair way to bill or absorb the running cost.
For retrofits into an already-occupied building, individual units are often the practical choice since installation can happen unit by unit with minimal disruption. For new-build developments, specifying a shared system at the design stage is usually the more cost-effective long-term choice. Either way, agree who's responsible for maintenance before installation, not after — see our apartment heat pump page for more detail.
Individual units: Simpler billing, higher total equipment cost
Shared system: Lower total cost, requires agreed billing approach
Best for retrofits: Individual units, installed unit by unit
Best for new builds: Shared systems specified at design stage
We can advise on the right configuration for your specific building during a free site survey, whether it's an existing block or a new development.
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Shared systems are usually more cost-efficient in total equipment cost, but require an agreed billing or cost-sharing method between tenants and the landlord.
Common approaches include incorporating an estimated cost into service charges or installing sub-meters; we can advise based on similar buildings we've worked with.
Yes, individual per-unit systems are usually the most practical retrofit option since they can be installed one unit at a time with minimal disruption to other tenants.
This should be agreed upfront — either the landlord/body corporate for a shared system, or individual tenants for their own unit, formalised in a maintenance contract.