'Well-fitted' heat pumps can knock £100s off energy bills, claims study

WELL-FITTED heat pumps are saving households more than £200 on energy bills, according to a study that finds they are performing much better in UK homes than previously thought.

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An analysis led by researchers at the University of Oxford found that when the clean heating systems are properly designed and adjusted for a home, they deliver lower bills, higher comfort and a much smaller carbon footprint than gas boilers.

Heat pumps are seen as a key technology for cutting carbon and gas dependency from heating buildings, but barriers to their uptake include costs and concerns over how well they work in British homes.

Previous trials have suggested a “relatively poor efficiency” of heat pumps in the UK, but the latest analysis shows much higher efficiency is possible, study author Professor Jan Rosenow said.

“That suggests that actually, it is possible to have very efficient heat pumps installed in a number of different houses, different housing types, ages, and different types of heat pumps,” he said.