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May 18, 2023

Heat pumps 'outshine gas boilers with three times the efficiency'

Heat pumps have been shown to be three times more efficient than gas boilers.

Heat pumps have been shown to be three times more efficient than gas boilers.

Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) have shown high efficiency even in cold weather, according to data from the Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project.

The project, funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, aims to understand the feasibility and constraints of mass heat pump rollout in British homes.

742 heat pumps were installed by Warmworks, E.ON, and OVO Energy and are being closely monitored for performance.

The study suggests ASHP systems showed a median Seasonal Performance Factors of 2.80 (280%), a significant improvement of 30-40% compared to the Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme trial from 2011-2014.

This progress is attributed to industry and system innovations.

Marc Brown, Business Leader – Homes, at Energy Systems Catapult, said: "With the release of this data, we can finally put to bed the notion that heat pumps do not work in cold weather conditions and that they are inefficient to run. We’ve observed the exact opposite. They are three times more efficient than gas boilers and work in cold weather conditions. Innovation is changing the game in the heating sector.

"While we’re taking steps in the right direction, we should not grow complacent. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, innovation and training are critical to the success of a mass rollout of heat pumps."