AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS V GAS BOILERS

If you’re considering a retrofit to improve the energy efficiency of any building, whether it’s your own home or the local community centre, you will eventually have to decide between a new gas boiler or an air source heat pump (ASHP). Even if you’re desperate to stop burning fossil fuels, it’s a big decision to make and more information is needed to make the right call.

To help shed some light on the situation and gather the facts, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has funded the Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project to monitor and assess 742 heat pumps that have been installed in a variety of house types and ages. The aim is to understand the practicalities of a mass rollout of heat pumps onto the British marketplace.

So far the outlook is positive. Interim data has been released showing the notion that heat pumps do not work in cold weather conditions and are inefficient to run is incorrect. In fact, it would seem they are three times more efficient than gas boilers and work in cold weather conditions.

You can read more about their interim findings here