Heat pumps are suitable for most homes and may reduce energy bills depending on the system you are replacing.

They are three times more efficient than gas boilers and work by capturing energy from outside (either in the air or ground) and move it into your home. For every kW of electricity given to the heat pump, 2-4kW of heat is created (compared to traditional gas boilers which generate 0.9kW of heat per kW of gas). 

Heat pumps gently heat the water in your pipes over a much longer time, meaning that they do not operate like traditional gas boilers. Rather than switching them on and off when you desire heat, they continuously stay on, heating to your desired temperature setting, maintaining a comfortable temperature throughout the day and the night. 

A well-insulated home is best for a heat pump to work efficiently. A survey of your home should be done before installation of a heat pump to see if you need further insulation measures such as external wall, cavity wall or solid wall insulation.

Changing your current heating system to a heat pump will dramatically decrease your carbon footprint as they are much more energy efficient. The quantity of heat given to your home is much more than the electricity needed to power the pump. There is no burning of fossil fuels to create the heat - instead, heat is taken from the environment outside and distributed to your current pipes. If you can switch energy providers to a 100% renewable energy provider, then the electricity used to power the pump will be clean as well, reducing your carbon footprint even more! 

You can visit a heat pump that has already been installed and speak with the homeowners about their experience of heat pumps. Here you can see firsthand how the heat pump works and clarify any queries you may have, the noise of a heat pump for example (which is no more intrusive than a traditional gas boiler and, as it is located outside your home, it should be barely noticeable.) 

• Visit a Heat Pump

Air Source Heat Pump Myth Busting

Heat pumps are new, untested technology.

• This is not true. The technology used by air source heat pumps has been around for 160 years ( they use the same technology as your fridge ), so they are in no way a new, untested technology. They have been used in domestic homes since the 1960s, with improvements made over the years to meet our current energy demands. 

Air source heat pumps are not as efficient as gas boilers.

•  Air source heat pumps are three times more energy efficient than the average gas boiler. Unlike typical boilers where heating goes on and off throughout the day, a heat pump is designed to stay on in the background, maintaining a continuous temperature in your home. 

You need a well-insulated home for the heat pump to work.

• Yes, for a heat pump to be as efficient as possible, your home needs to be properly insulated first. A survey can be carried out to determine if additional insulation measures are required before installing a heat pump. Ensuring your property has sufficient insulation first will mean that the heat generated by the heat pump stays in your home. 

Heat pumps aren’t right for the UK climate and can only work in countries that are warm. 

• Not true. Heat pumps have been installed all over the world. They are particularly popular in Scandinavian countries, with 60% of homes in Norway having them.  Air source heat pumps work in temperatures as low as 
  -25°C, and although they may use a little more energy during the coldest winter spells, they are still more energy efficient than a typical gas boiler. 

Heat pumps are noisy.

• With modern units this isn’t the case at all. The engine of the heat pump is called a compressor, and this generates a little bit of noise, ranging between 40-60 decibels (the same amount of noise as a refrigerator). With the heat pump being fitted outside the home, the noise levels should be no more intrusive than a gas boiler when you are indoors. 

Heat pumps are expensive to run.

• Like with most energy measures, it depends on your energy provider, what other energy efficient measures you have in your home and the energy system you are replacing. If your home is well insulated and you are using the heat pump efficiently, you should see a decrease in your energy bills. In fact, the more energy efficient measures you own or have in place, the better. This means you can connect everything together, saving you more money on your energy bills. 

Heat pumps need a lot of maintenance. 

• This is not true. Regular annual servicing is required, as is the case with gas boilers. However, as there are minimal moving parts to the pump, little maintenance should be necessary. 

Heat pumps take up too much space.

• A heat pump is kept outside your home and is about the same size as an adult bike. It only needs 1m at the front and each side to allow for ventilation. 

 If you would like more information about heat pumps, the Centre for Sustainable Energy go into detail on common questions and talk about the costs of heat pumps. 

There are grants and projects ongoing across the county to help residents make significant energy-efficiency improvements to their properties. This includes grants to fully-fund such improvements for those in fuel poverty or on low income. If you would like more information regarding these projects and grants contact us via email at: retrofit@oxfordshire.gov.uk  or register your interest via our online form.