Heat pumps are an energy efficient, low carbon way to heat your home. They’re suitable for almost all types of home and, depending on what heating system you’re replacing, could save you money on your energy bills. This is the focus of the UK Government’s ‘feel all warm and fuzzy inside’ campaign.
As fossil fuel boilers are slowly being phased out, heat pumps will become more common in the UK. And at the moment, there are financial incentives for people who adopt the technology early.
Whether you’re curious about the technology or you’re already a proud owner, we have something for you.
It’s is a low carbon heating system that takes heat from the outside environment and raises the temperature to use in your central heating system.
It uses electricity to do this. But for every unit of electricity it uses, it produces three units of heat. This makes them a very efficient alternative to a gas or oil boiler for heating your home.
They also produce much fewer CO2 emissions than other heating systems.
There are two types that are most common in the UK:
Which one is better suited to you largely depends on your budget and how much outdoor space you have. You can find out what might be right for you using this quiz from Nesta.
For more information on other types, look at our guides:
They’re are suitable for most houses in the UK. Despite this, we’ve found several ‘myths’ that were holding people back from adopting the technology. We’re here to bust those myths.
Read our heat pump fact check where we tackle some of the most common hot topics around heat pumps.
Read our in-depth heat pump guide to find out:
If you want to know more about what it’s like to own one, read our stories:
The support you can get depends on where in the UK you live:
For more information, read our heat pump installation step-by-step guide.
The services available to you depend on where you live:
Here’s some advice on how to maximise efficiency and other ways you can benefit from low carbon energy:
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Last updated: 11 March 2025