More than 80% of heat pump users ‘satisfied’ with system, survey reveals

In a bid to reduce household emissions, the government is aiming to encourage the installation of 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028.

The technology – which is widely used in many countries but remains a fringe part of the UK market – works by taking heat from the air outside, or the ground, to be circulated around a central heating and hot water system.

But take-up in the UK has been sluggish, with only 55,000 pumps fitted in 2021. A £450m scheme offering £5,000 grants towards the cost of a heat pump has suffered from low interest.

One of the often cited barriers to wide-scale adoption of heat pumps is the UK’s predominance of poorly insulated Victorian properties and concerns that the pumps will be less efficient than gas, and therefore more expensive. 

However Nesta’s analysis shows that heat pump satisfaction levels from households living in Victorian or older properties are similar (83%) to those in new builds.

Madeleine Gabriel, director of sustainable future at Nesta, said it was time to put to rest “outdated ideas” that older homes do not support heat pumps.

“The roll-out of heat pumps across all property types in Britain is proving that the age of your house doesn’t have to be a big factor when deciding whether to get a greener heating system,” she said.

The survey also revealed that satisfaction levels were highest among people who chose to install a heat pump in their own homes, although the majority of those moving into a new build or existing property with a heat pump also say they are as or more satisfied with their heat pump.

While heat pump users reported high satisfaction levels overall, they reported lower satisfaction with ease of use and control compared to gas boiler users, with 74% ‘fairly’ or ‘very’ satisfied, compared to 88% of gas boiler users.

The survey also suggests that heat pump ‘inheritors’, who move into homes with heat pumps already installed, would benefit from more information on how to use their systems, as many had very little awareness of the technology before moving into their properties. 

Ms Gabriel added: “With heat pumps getting the thumbs up from those that use them, the government should redouble its efforts to meet the timetable it has set out for phasing out fossil fuel heating. It should be easier and cheaper for people to opt to replace gas boilers with renewable heating when a boiler reaches the end of its life.”

Clem Cowton, director of external affairs at Octopus Energy, said the survey findings were reflected in the “astronomical demand” Octopus is seeing for heat pumps, with “tens of thousands clamouring to get their hands on one”. 

Ms Cowton added: “The government should now have the confidence to move forward quickly with its proposal to remove punitive levies from household electricity bills, and streamline out-of-date planning rules to make it easier and cheaper for everyone to make the switch to cleaner, safer and more efficient heating with a heat pump.”

Earlier this month, Legal & General Capital and Octopus Energy announced an investment of £70m in a British heat pump business.

The investment aims to scale up The Kensa Group, which manufactures and installs ground source heat pumps, to install 50,000 pumps a year by 2030.