- 83% said they would recommend switching to a heat pump to friends and family
- Two-thirds report their heat pump was the same cost or cheaper to run
- The BUS is helping adoption
Eighty-six per cent of households reported heat pumps have kept them warm during the UK’s bitter cold snap in a survey from Octopus Energy.
A survey of more than 1,700 UK households with newly installed heat pumps found that customers were overwhelmingly satisfied with the performance of their heat pump during the coldest days of winter.
Additionally, 83% said they would recommend switching to a heat pump to friends and family.
Alex Schoch, global director of clean tech at Octopus Energy, said that not only do heat pumps perform better but thanks to the £7,500 grant from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), the costs of getting a heat pump are now “on par” with a new gas boiler.
“Dedicated smart tariffs mean heat pumps are also cheaper to run than gas boilers,” Schoch said.
“Octopus’ ‘Cosy Octopus’ can save heat pump customers £315 a year on heating costs compared to gas boiler customers on a standard tariff.
“This is supported by the data found in the survey, with two-thirds (69%) of heat pump users reporting their heat pump was the same cost or cheaper to run their previous gas boiler.”
To further drive down running costs, the government is currently considering moving environmental and social levies off electricity. This would help the country fully commit to electrification and accelerate the uptake of heat pumps by bringing prices of cleaner energy down.
Schoch added: “This survey confirms what customers tell us every day: heat pumps are just as good, if not better, at keeping their houses cosy, and our innovative tariffs mean they’re better for wallets too.
“Even when snow and sleet were dumped across the UK, heat pumps remained robust and proved themselves as a cost-effective alternative to gas boilers.”
