Frequently Asked Questions

Heat pumps are a more energy-efficient replacement to fossil fuel-based heating systems such as gas or oil boilers. You can find out more on our What is a heat pump? page.

Heat pumps run on electricity. They take ambient heat from the air, ground or water outdoors, increase the temperature, and then transfer it into your heating system or hot water storage facility. You can find out more detailed information on our  What is a heat pump? page.

If you have an oil, LPG or electric boiler, electric radiators or storage heaters, you’ll likely make a saving on your energy bills going forwards. This is because heat pumps use three to four times less energy than these other heating systems.

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If you are currently using a gas boiler, your heating bills will likely remain similar after installing a heat pump. This is because government policy currently makes gas cheaper than electricity. 

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However, making use of special energy tariffs can help. According to Which?, you could save more than £500 a year on your energy bills by switching to a heat pump from a gas boiler and using a special heat pump tariff.

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You can find out more about costs and special tariffs on

our What is a heat pump? page, and on our How much does a heat pump cost? page.

Almost all homeowners in England and Wales are eligible for a £7,500 grant from the UK government. Those in Scotland can get a £7,500 grant from Home Energy Scotland, or £9,000 if you live in a rural area. Home Energy Scotland also offers loans up to £7,500, which can be used on top of the grant to help cut costs. There are also additional grants and loans available from banks and mortgage providers. Some energy companies also provide low-cost installations.

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You can find out more on our How much does a heat pump cost and can I get a grant? page.

You can find guidance on finding a good heat pump installer on our Finding the right installer page.

You can find out what happens at each step of the heat pump installation process – from contacting installers through to post-install handover – on our Installation page.

Yes, they do. There’s still heat energy in the air or ground that heat pumps can use, even in weather below freezing. Research using field data from the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, the US and China has also found that heat pumps still perform efficiently and effectively at temperatures well below freezing.

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In fact, heat pumps are more than twice as efficient as fossil fuel-powered heating systems in cold temperatures. Even at temperatures approaching -30°C, heat pumps out-perform oil- and gas-powered heating systems, according to 2023 research from Oxford University and the Regulatory Assistance Project think tank.

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The coldest countries in Europe have the most heat pumps per household. For example, in Norway, over 60 per cent of homes are heated with a heat pump.

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You can find out more about how heat pumps work on our What is a heat pump? page.

No, your house won’t be colder with a heat pump. However, your radiators may not feel as warm as they did before. This is because the temperature of the water that a heat pump sends through them is generally lower than that supplied by a boiler, but that water is still hot enough to heat your house to your desired temperature. So the temperature of your home isn’t affected, as this is determined by your thermostat.

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Depending on the capacity of your existing radiators, you may have to have some of them upgraded to larger-capacity units. This will increase the amount of heat they can emit at lower, and more efficient, water temperatures. You might also change your heating-control strategy slightly. For example, you’d set the thermostat to remain on low instead of turning the system off, or allow slightly more time for your home to warm up in the mornings or evenings. These strategic changes are usually implemented when the system is commissioned and are likely to be factored into the estimated costs of using a heat pump.

All heating technologies make some noise. However, most heat pumps are no louder than a gas boiler, and ground source heat pumps are generally even quieter. Findings from a recent survey found that the majority of owners felt that their heat pumps were unobtrusive, with 85 per cent being satisfied with noise levels.

Almost all air source and ground source heat pump systems will require some form of hot water store for the water that comes out of your taps. In many cases this will be a hot water cylinder, similar to the type that you might use with a boiler. However, you can also use a heat battery, which can be up to four times smaller than a water cylinder.  

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Air-to-air heat pumps do not provide domestic hot water, so if you chose this kind of system, you could consider a domestic hot water heat pump or thermal store as low-carbon options. 

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You can find out more about different types of heat pump systems, and their components, on our Which type of heat pump is right for my home? page.

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You can also find out more about common extra upgrades to properties on our Will I need to do any extra work on my property? page.

You are likely to make savings on your heating bill if you currently have an oil, LPG (liquid petroleum gas) or electric boiler, electric radiators or storage heaters. This is because heat pumps use three to four times less energy than these other heating systems.

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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, government policy currently makes gas cheaper than electricity.

According to Which?, you could save more than £500 a year on your energy bills by switching to a heat pump from a gas boiler by using a special heat pump tariff.

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You can find out more on our What is a heat pump? page, and on our How much does a heat pump cost? page.

This website was developed in partnership by Nesta and The MCS Foundation as part of their work to accelerate the decarbonisation of UK homes. The website is now maintained and run by the MCS Foundation. 

There’s a lot of confusing and conflicting information about heat pumps online. It can also be quite difficult to find out how to get a heat pump installed, what the process is and what to expect from installers. 

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That’s why we’ve created this website. We want to help people understand:

• whether getting a heat pump is a good decision for them right now
• which type of heat pump might work for their particular situation
• what to expect when getting a heat pump
• how to get a heat pump

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We hope that this website will make it easier for people to understand how they can upgrade to a more climate-friendly heating system.

We want to help people make an informed decision about whether getting a heat pump is right for them. We also want to guide people who would like to get a heat pump through the process of having one installed, as this information can be hard to find in one place online.

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We do think heat pumps are an important solution for reducing carbon emissions from homes in the UK, and for reaching the UK’s net zero targets. They’re also likely to become increasingly desirable compared to other heating sources, because the UK government has indicated it isn’t likely to allow the installation of new boilers for 80 per cent of homes from 2035. So we want to make it easier for people to go through the process of having one installed.

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Find out why you might want to get a heat pump on our What is a heat pump? page.