This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-57159056#2

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
Heat pumps: How do they work, what do they cost and can I get a grant? Heat pumps: How do they work, what do they cost and can I get a grant?
(5 months later)
New gas boilers will be banned for most households from 2035, as the UK switches to heat pumps to help cut greenhouse gas emissions. About half of all homes should have a heat pump by 2040 to keep the UK on track to meet its climate targets, according to the government's independent advisers.
But despite the availability of grants of £7,500 in England and Wales, heat pumps remain too expensive and too few people know about them, the UK's spending watchdog has warned. Less than 1% of homes had heat pumps in 2023, but take-up has increased sharply since then and the the Climate Change Committee (CCC) believes the goal is achievable.
What are heat pumps and how do they work?What are heat pumps and how do they work?
Heat pumps run on electricity instead of gas. Heat pumps run on electricity instead of gas. They warm buildings by absorbing and amplifying heat from the air, ground, or water.
As the UK increases its production of electricity from renewable sources like the wind and sun, it is hoped that they will play a big part in cutting emissions. They are widely seen as the best way of cutting emissions of carbon dioxide - a planet-warming gas - from home heating. They are more efficient than gas boilers and can use electricity generated from increasingly clean sources, as wind and solar power replace polluting fossil fuels.
Heat pumps warm buildings by absorbing heat from the air, ground, or water. Air-source pumps - the most common type - suck in outdoor air and pass it over tubes containing refrigerant fluids which concentrate and boost the warmth to produce heat.
Air-source pumps, for example, suck in outdoor air and pass it over tubes containing refrigerant fluids to produce heat. The system consists of a box measuring about 1m x 1m x 0.4m which stands outside the property, as well as a heat pump unit and hot water cylinder inside the property. The indoor unit is about the size of a gas boiler, while the cylinder depends on the size of the home.
A box of about 1m x 1m x 0.4m stands outside the property. This should be at least 1m from your neighbour's property - if this is not possible, you can apply for planning permission. Ground-source heat pumps are more efficient than air-source models. But they are typically more expensive and less commonly used, as they require a deep bore hole, or a horizontal system dug into the ground over a large area.
You will also need space inside for a heat pump unit and hot water cylinder. The unit will be about the size of a gas boiler, while the cylinder depends on the size of the home.
A ground source heat pump is more efficient than an air source heat pump but less commonly used, as it needs a deep bore hole, or a horizontal system dug into the ground over a large area.
Heat pumps explained in 60 secondsHeat pumps explained in 60 seconds
How will we heat homes in zero-carbon Britain? A simple guide to climate change
What does net zero mean?
Where does the UK get its energy from?
How much do heat pumps cost?How much do heat pumps cost?
An air source heat pumps costs £10,000 more than a gas boiler on average, according to the National Infrastructure Commission, external (NIC). On average, an air-source heat pump costs about £10,000 more than a gas boiler, according to the National Infrastructure Commission, external (NIC). Installation costs can vary greatly depending on the changes needed to fit the pump into a property.
But costs are coming down all the time and energy companies are offering some heat pumps for £500, with a government grant. To encourage people to make the switch, the government offers a grant of £7,500 to help with the extra costs in England and Wales, external.
Can I get a grant to help pay for a heat pump? With the grant, some energy companies offer heat pumps for as little as £500, but the UK's spending watchdog warned in 2024 that costs were too high for many.
In April 2022, the government launched a five year scheme to offer grants to households installing more environmentally friendly heating. The grant can be used for existing homes and non-domestic buildings in England and Wales. The property must have an eligible Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), external issued in the last 10 years.
Grants are available to existing homes and non-domestic buildings in England and Wales, and can be used for: Changes to the rules mean homes are no longer required to have existing loft or cavity wall insulation, which could save around £2,500 in upfront costs, but a well-insulated home can help the heat pump to perform more efficiently.
air source heat pumps The scheme is not available if you live in social housing or a new-build property. Tenants in private rented accommodation are also eligible but the landlord has to apply.
ground source heat pumps
water source heat pumps
biomass boilers (for those living in rural areas)
The grants offer £7,500 off the cost and installation of an air source heat pump, or a ground source heat pump, external.
The property must have an eligible Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), external issued in the last 10 years.
Changes to the rules mean homes are no longer required to have existing loft or cavity wall insulation, which could save around £2,500 of upfront costs.
However, a well insulated home can help the heat pump to perform more efficiently.
The scheme is not available if you live in social housing or a new-build property. Private rented accommodation is also eligible but the landlord has to apply.
Scotland, external and Northern Ireland, external have separate schemes to help make homes more efficient.Scotland, external and Northern Ireland, external have separate schemes to help make homes more efficient.
Check if you may be eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, externalCheck if you may be eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, external
Ofgem: Boiler upgrade scheme, externalOfgem: Boiler upgrade scheme, external
Find a certified installer, externalFind a certified installer, external
Do I have to replace my boiler? Could heat pumps save me money?
There is no requirement to replace your boiler currently. While the up-front costs are currently significant, heat pumps tend to be cheaper to run than gas boilers, the CCC says.
However, the sale of new gas boilers will be banned from 2035, although poorer households will be exempt. The government has yet to announce what the threshold income for this will be. The precise comparison depends on individual energy prices and how efficiently the heat pump works.
As part of the government's Future Homes Standard, gas boilers will also be banned in new build homes from 2025. Electric heat pumps use much less energy than gas boilers, but electricity typically costs more than gas.
So, if you purchase a new home after that date it will have a greener heating system like a heat pump. Households can make additional savings by signing up for energy deals which are designed for heat pump owners.
The National Audit Office and the House of Lords Net Zero Committee have warned that the sale of heat pumps is too low for the government to meet its target of 600,000 heat pumps sold annually. The CCC has called on the government to prioritise making electricity cheaper for everyone, which would make heat pumps more attractive.
They have encouraged the government to increase public awareness and to provide further support to households beyond 2027, when the grant scheme ends. As a first step, it says the government should remove the cost of funding social and environment schemes which is currently included in electricity bills.
Government green heating plan 'seriously failing' It says this would allow people to make savings on their energy bills.
Heat pumps still too expensive, government warned How many heat pumps have been installed in the UK?
Fewer heat pumps been installed in the UK than in European countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavian nations.
According to the CCC, about 60,000 heat pumps were installed in 2023, although numbers have been going up quickly since then, external.
It says this number needs to rise to nearly 450,000 a year by 2030 and 1.5 million by 2035 - but argues this is feasible based on equivalent increases already seen in some other European countries.
Significantly more trained heat pump installers are also needed.
What are the alternatives to heat pumps? Do I have to replace my boiler?
There is no requirement to replace your existing boiler before the end of its life, and the CCC says this should not be necessary in order to meet climate targets. Households can still buy a new gas boiler if they wish.
But the CCC has recommended that, from 2035, all new home heating should be low-carbon.
The government will respond to its latest advice in due course, but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has previously said that the government was not planning an outright ban on gas boilers.
Most low-carbon heating over the next 15 years will come from heat pumps, the CCC says.
But in some cases, other approaches may be more appropriate, such as direct electric heating in homes with lower heat demand.
However, the CCC says the government should rule out the possible use of hydrogen in home heating to provide certainty to customers and industry.
How will we heat homes in zero-carbon Britain?