FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

No, your house won’t be colder with a heat pump. However, your radiators may feel cooler than previously. This is because the temperature of the water that a heat pump sends through them is generally lower than a boiler. This doesn’t affect the temperature of your home, as this is determined by your thermostat.

To compensate for the lower warm-up times you may have to have some of your radiators upgraded to larger ones. This will increase the amount of heat they can emit, which will compensate for the lower water temperature. You might also change your heating pattern slightly. For example, setting the thermostat low instead of turning it off completely, or allowing slightly more time for your home to warm up in the mornings or evenings. These behavioural changes are usually factored into the estimated costs of using a heat pump.

All heating technologies make some noise. However, most heat pumps are no louder than a gas boiler, and ground source heat pumps are generally even quieter than this. Findings from a recent survey found that the majority of owners felt that heat pumps were unobtrusive, with 85% being satisfied with noise levels.

Yes, you can get a heat pump if you live in a flat. However, this may not be the most practical option for some flats. For some, it might make more sense to install other low-carbon heating alternatives to gas boilers, such as electric radiators and infrared heating.

Almost all air-source and ground-source heat pump systems will require some form of thermal store for the water that comes out of your taps. In many cases this will be a hot water cylinder, similar to the type that you might use with a boiler. However, you can also use a heat battery, which is typically smaller than a hot water cylinder. Whilst air-to-air heat pumps don’t require hot water storage, they will require an immersion heater to heat up water for your taps and shower. This is likely to be smaller than a typical hot water cylinder.

You can find out more about different types of heat pump systems, and their components, on our What type of heat pump is right for my home? page.

You can also find out more about common extra upgrades to properties on our Will I need to do any extra work on my property? page.

You are likely to make savings on your heating bill if you currently have an oil, LPG or electric boiler, electric radiators or storage heaters. This is because heat pumps use three to four times less energy than other heating systems.

If you are currently using a gas boiler, your heating bills will likely remain similar after installing a heat pump. Despite heat pumps using significantly less energy to run than a gas boiler, the government currently subsidises gas to make it cheaper than oil, LPG and electricity.

You can also find heat pump friendly tariffs to help you save on your running costs. Find out more from Which?.

You can find out more on our What is a heat pump? page, and on our How much does a heat pump cost? page.