Focus on: Heat pumps

For many people, the up-front cost of a heat pump is prohibitive, but there are some lower-cost installation options out there (for example, Octopus, British Gas, Ovo). At this stage these options cover only selected areas, but some new suppliers - like Aira - are planning on introducing financing that allows you to spread the cost of the installation over a longer period. If you are a homeowner in England and Wales you can also access the UK Boiler Upgrade Scheme for a £7,500 grant towards your heat pump installation. For homeowners in Scotland, you can access a grant for between £7,500 and £9000 through Home Energy Scotland. Home Energy Scotland also offers loans for up to £7,500 which can be used in addition to the grant.

You are likely to make savings on your heating bill if you currently have an oil, liquid petroleum gas (LPG) or electric boiler, electric radiators or storage heaters. If you are currently using a gas boiler, your heating bills will likely remain similar after installing a heat pump. Despite heat pumps using significantly less energy to run than a gas boiler, the UK Government currently subsidises gas to make it cheaper than electricity, oil and LPG. However, it’s likely that the price difference between electricity and gas will reduce over time and some energy companies offer special tariffs for heat pump users (for example, Octopus Energy’s Cosy Octopus tariff).

When people say heat pumps are always ‘on’ it doesn't mean that they're constantly running and racking up enormous heating bills. Instead, heat pumps monitor the temperature of a home whilst they're ‘off’ and stop it from dropping lower than a certain temperature (set by the homeowner). If the temperature does get too low, the pump will gently warm the home to maintain the set temperature and turn ‘off’ again once it reaches it. The typical installation period for air source heat pumps is usually three to five days (with only one or two days without heating/hot water). Ground source heat pump installation takes a little longer, due to the need for digging and installing the ground loop, but homeowners should still only experience a day or two without heating/hot water.

It’s always best to speak to a qualified heat pump installer about installing a heat pump, as most builders, plumbers and gas engineers won’t have the training or wider skills needed for accurately sizing, installing and recommending heating systems, beyond their specific expertise.

The price of electricity is much higher than gas, but heat pumps tend to operate three to four times more efficiently than a gas boiler which means the running cost of a heat pump is likely to be very similar. For those who currently have a gas boiler, heat pumps probably won’t reduce their bills - however, it's highly likely that costs would drop for those using oil or LPG boilers, and almost certain that running costs would be cheaper for those currently using electric radiators, storage heaters or an electric boiler.

Salt in the air can corrode parts of the external unit, but many heat pumps are now designed to withstand these kinds of weather conditions by default. For any that aren't, lots of manufacturers will have a ‘coastal’ version of their models or can add special coatings to the heat pump to protect it. There are also anti-corrosion coatings that installers or homeowners can use for heat pumps installed in coastal areas. Otherwise, there is always the option of installing a ground source heat pump.

If you live in a building that has been converted into flats it can be challenging (though not impossible) to install an air-to-water heat pump. However, you could look into installing an air-to-air heat pump. These are essentially air conditioning units that do heating as well as cooling and are a good option for smaller flats as the units themselves aren’t too big. The units would simply be installed in each room that needs heating. If you live in a purpose-built block of flats, it can be challenging (though not impossible) to install individual air-to-air heat pumps, due to planning and building management permissions. Your best option is to wait, or campaign, for your block of flats to be connected to low carbon district heating or for the communal heating source for your building to be upgraded to a greener alternative. Approximately 35,000 people retrofitted their homes and added a heat pump last year (2023), whereas 12,000 people from just one scheme for social housing had them installed.

There is a misconception that homes have to be highly insulated before a heat pump is fitted. Of course, the more insulated a home is, the more efficiently the heating system will run, but even homes with poor insulation can still heat their homes sufficiently with a heat pump (in the same way that homes with poor insulation can still heat their homes with a gas boiler).

Most heat pumps are actually no louder than a gas boiler, and ground source heat pumps are usually even quieter.

It can be tricky to find a good and aesthetically pleasing space for a heat pump in the small garden of a terraced home. Planning rules require heat pumps to be more than 1 metre from neighbouring property boundaries (or 3 metres, in Wales), which can sometimes mean it would have to be placed somewhere in the middle of the garden! But many homes with a garden will be able to install the heat pump in a location they are happy with, by securing planning permission. This augmented reality tool can help you to visualise where an outdoor unit might fit in your garden.