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5 reasons why homeowners aren't buying heat pumps (and it’s not just cost)
With over a decade of experience at Which?, Tom covers everything from tech advice to money-saving tips, and highlights the best deals during major sales events.
Heat pumps are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to gas boilers, with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme offering grants of up to £7,500 to help cover installation costs.
However, despite government support making heat pumps more affordable, Which? research suggests cost is only one of the factors putting homeowners off.
To find out why, we carried out nine in-depth interviews, five focus groups and surveyed over 1,000 homeowners who had researched heat pumps but ultimately decided against installing one or remained undecided.
We found that people in this group also had concerns about installation, whether a heat pump would keep their home warm enough, new financing options and longer-term uncertainty.
It's worth noting that studies of heat pump owners tend to show that, once installed, people are usually very happy with them.
Below, we've explained more about the barriers homeowners told us about, and how to overcome them if you are considering a heat pump for your home.
1. Upfront and running costs
Cost concerns are still the biggest reason homeowners decide not to install a heat pump. In fact, almost half (49%) of those we surveyed said that both the upfront installation costs and ongoing running costs were stopping them from going ahead.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers grants of up to £7,500, but the final cost will depend on your home (see: What is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?). Some properties can be set up with relatively little additional work after the grant is applied, while others may need larger radiators, better insulation or other upgrades, which can increase the cost.
Many homeowners also said they had no clear way of knowing whether a heat pump would save them money on their energy bills over the long term. It's worth digging into the data around how your own home's energy usage works, and therefore what the costs could be for your own home, rather than relying on average figures.
In the initial quoting stages, heat pump installers should talk through the expected energy usage of the heat pump and what that would mean for your home. If you're considering one, get quotes from two or three installers so you can compare installation costs and estimated running costs.
Energy companies are increasingly offering smart electricity tariffs, which can lower your bills by offering cheaper electricity at certain times of the day. Some are specifically designed for heat pump owners to make the most of off-peak electricity.
You could also ask potential installers whether the models they install come with performance monitoring technology, which lets you check your heat pump is running efficiently and keep an eye on your energy costs over time.
Discover how much you should expect to pay with our advice on ground source heat pump costs and air source heat pump costs.
2. Homeowners don't trust the installation process
Our research found that many homeowners saw the heat pump installation market as a "Wild West", with concerns about inconsistent advice, poor workmanship and cowboy installers. Some said they had no clear way of knowing who to trust, making the decision to switch feel even riskier.
This lack of confidence meant some homeowners worried they'd spend thousands of pounds only to end up with a system that didn't perform properly because it hadn't been designed or installed correctly. When heat pumps perform poorly, it's often because they were installed following poor advice or weren't set up well, rather than because there's anything inherently wrong with the technology.
Respondents told us they wanted a recognised standard to help them spot trustworthy installers. One way to reduce the risk is to choose an installer certified by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), the UK's quality mark for renewable energy installations.
Awareness of MCS is low, though – more than three quarters (77%) of those surveyed said they had never heard of it before taking part in the research. Once MCS was explained, three quarters (75%) said it would reassure them about getting a heat pump, while only 4% said it would not.
If you're considering a heat pump installer, try to get some real customer feedback from someone else who has used them. Get quotes from two or three installers and always check they're MCS certified.
See our advice on installing an air source heat pump. You can also search for carefully vetted heating engineers using Which? Trusted Traders:
3. People aren't convinced a heat pump will work for their home
Many homeowners we spoke to weren't convinced a heat pump would work as well as the heating system they already had, and they wanted more reassurance before making such a big decision.
Some worried their home wouldn't stay as warm or comfortable as it did with a gas boiler, particularly during colder weather, while others weren't sure how disruptive the installation would be or whether a heat pump would suit their property.
In our interviews, several homeowners described installing a heat pump as "a step into the unknown". They said they didn't know what to expect before, during or after installation, making it harder to feel confident about making the switch.
If you're thinking about getting a heat pump, don't rely solely on what you've read online. Instead, speak to a few installers about how a system would work in your home, what changes (if any) would be needed and what you can realistically expect once it's up and running.
Heat pumps work differently to a gas or oil boiler as they send a constant flow of warm water to your system rather than sudden bursts of very hot water. It takes a little getting used to, but owners tend to report a more comfortable, consistent warmth rather than the highs and lows that come with a gas boiler.
It's worth going to see one in action, if you can. You can use the Visit A Heat Pump scheme, run by Nesta, to find someone with a heat pump in your area who will show you how it works and what their home feels like with one installed.
For more information on how ground source heat pumps work, see our guide: Ground source heat pumps explained.
4. New finance options don't reassure everyone
One way to tackle the high upfront cost of a heat pump is to spread the payments over time. But our research suggests some of the new finance options that are being proposed are creating fresh concerns instead.
Schemes such as Heat-as-a-Service (a subscription model) and Property-Linked Finance (a loan linked to the home, and not the owner) have been proposed as a way to make heat pumps more affordable, but many of the people we spoke to worried they'd lose control over their heating system or face complications if they wanted to sell their home while the agreement was still in place.
More familiar ways of paying, such as borrowing through an existing mortgage, were generally viewed more positively because people felt they better understood how they worked.
If you're thinking about financing a heat pump, take time to compare the different options and make sure you understand how the agreement could affect your home in the future. For some households, a traditional loan or mortgage may feel like the simpler choice.
Read more about how green mortgages work and whether they are worth considering.
5. Heat pumps still feel like a "gamble"
Our research found that no single issue was enough to put most homeowners off. Instead, it was the combination of concerns around cost, installation, performance and long-term running costs that made many decide not to go ahead.
That uncertainty came through clearly in our research. A third (33%) of homeowners surveyed said there were "too many long-term uncertainties" for them to fully consider getting a heat pump.
By the time they'd weighed up the costs, thought about finding a trustworthy installer and considered how a heat pump would work in their home, many still didn't feel they had enough information to make a confident decision. Some also worried about how installing a heat pump might affect the future sale of their home. As a result, 29% agreed that "the investment feels too much of a gamble".
Making heat pumps more affordable is only part of the solution. At Which?, we're urging the government to provide official information services with clear, reliable advice on costs, performance and what homeowners can expect before, during and after installation.
We want ministers to improve awareness of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), making it easier for homeowners to identify trusted installers, and to work with businesses, local authorities and consumer groups to deliver tailored advice that helps people feel more confident about making the switch.
We're also calling for the government to introduce a Warm Homes Guarantee to give homeowners greater reassurance about the quality of heat pump installations. Under our proposal, the guarantee would cover the standard of work and include a clear commitment to resolve any problems quickly and without hassle for the homeowner.
Get answers to your burning questions about how heat pumps and boilers differ in technology – see our guide on heat pumps vs boilers.
