Are air source heat pumps worth it?
With the £7,500 grant, the maths has shifted. Here's an honest look at whether a heat pump is worth it for your home.
Heat pumps are heavily promoted, so a straight answer helps. Whether one is "worth it" depends on your home, your current heating, and how well insulated you are.
The case for
- Around 3–4x more efficient than a gas boiler.
- The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes a big bite out of the cost.
- Lower carbon, and future-proofed as gas is phased down.
- Provides heating and hot water from one system.
Where it works best
Heat pumps reward well-insulated homes. In a draughty, uninsulated house they have to work harder and cost more to run — which is why we always recommend insulating first.
The honest sequence
Insulate first, then electrify. A well-insulated home needs a smaller, cheaper heat pump and gets the best running costs. Skip the insulation and the maths gets worse.
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Running costs in the real world
A heat pump's efficiency means it uses far less energy than a boiler, but electricity costs more per unit than gas — so the real-world saving depends heavily on how well insulated your home is and what tariff you're on. In a well-insulated home on a suitable tariff, running costs can be competitive with or better than gas. In a draughty, uninsulated home, the maths is less favourable, which is why insulation comes first.
The grant changes the sums
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant (£7,500, rising to £9,000 for oil and LPG homes) dramatically reduces the upfront cost that's long been the main barrier. With the grant, the gap between a heat pump and a new boiler narrows considerably — making a heat pump a realistic option for far more homes than even a couple of years ago.