Heat pumps

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.

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.

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We do not publish scheme values here, because they change.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.

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.