A heat pump moves heat rather than burning fuel to create it, which is why it can deliver more heat energy than the electrical energy it consumes. Whether it reduces cost as well as emissions is a separate question, and the answer is not always yes.
Verification
- Verified as at:
- Source:
- Omnium method; grant scheme values and eligibility change and are confirmed at the point of enquiry
- Last reviewed by:
- Omnium
Figures in this sheet were current at the verification date above. Regulated charges reset each April. If you are relying on a figure, check the source or ask us.
Designed A4 fact sheet, ready to print or circulate.
Emissions and cost are different questions
Replacing gas heating with a heat pump reduces emissions, because electricity carries a lower carbon factor than gas and that gap is widening as the grid decarbonises.
Whether it reduces cost depends on the ratio between the electricity price and the gas price, and on how efficiently the system runs in your building. A heat pump can cut emissions and increase the bill at the same time. We will say so when that is the case.
The building decides the efficiency
A heat pump delivers heat at a lower temperature than a gas boiler. That works well with underfloor heating and correctly sized emitters, and works poorly with a system designed around a boiler running hot.
So the assessment is a building question as much as an energy question: the fabric, the existing distribution system, the emitters and how the space is actually used. A heat pump fitted to an unsuitable system will underperform its specification, and the occupants will notice before the meter does.
On grants
Government grant schemes exist for heat pump installation, with eligibility depending on system size and property type. Larger commercial heat loads generally fall outside them and stand on their own commercial case. Scotland operates separate arrangements.
We do not publish scheme values here, because they change. We will tell you honestly whether any grant applies to your building rather than assuming one does.
Where it fits in the order
A heat pump sized against an unimproved building is larger and more expensive than one sized against an improved building. Fabric and controls first, then the plant.
Related sheets
- Combined heat and power
How CHP works, why the spark spread decides viability, and why an oversized unit is an expensive mistake.
- The net zero roadmap
The order to decarbonise a building or portfolio in, and why measuring and reducing before generating and offsetting costs less.
- EPC B by 2031, and what the law actually requires today
EPC E is the enforceable standard now. EPC B by 2031 is a proposal awaiting secondary legislation, and the EPC C by 2027 step has been dropped.
Take this sheet into a meeting
Heat pumps is available as a designed A4 fact sheet, dated and set for printing or circulation.
If this sheet raises a question about your own sites, speak to us.