Air source heat pumps
Capture heat from outside and move it into your home.
Heat pumps are a low-carbon heating system that, depending on the heating system you are replacing, may reduce energy bills while lowering carbon emissions,
A heat pump works by capturing energy from outside (either the air or the ground) and transferring it into your home to provide efficient heating (and, in some cases, cooling).
Heat pumps heat the water in your system to a lower temperature than a traditional gas boiler. Rather than switching the heat pump on and off as needed for heat or hot water, it’s more efficient to keep it running continuously to maintain a steady, comfortable indoor temperature.
Heat pumps are up to three times more efficient than a gas boiler. For every 1kW of electricity used by the heat pump, 2-4kW of heat is generated. In comparison, a traditional gas boiler generates around 0.9kW of heat for every 1kW of gas it uses.
While heat pumps are suitable for most homes, they perform best in well-insulated homes. Before installation, a survey of your home should be carried out to see whether any insulation improvements, e.g. loft or cavity wall insulation, would be beneficial.
Whilst most heat pumps provide heating only (known as air-to-water heat pumps), installing an air-to-air heat pump means the same system can heat your home in winter and provide cooling in summer through wall-mounted indoor units. If you install an air-to-air heat pump, it won’t provide hot water so you will need a separate hot water cylinder.
By switching from a fossil fuel heating system to a heat pump, you can reduce your home’s carbon emissions. If you switch to a 100% renewable energy tariff, the electricity powering the heat pump will also be clean, reducing your carbon footprint even further.
If you’d like to find out more, you can visit a heat pump that has already been installed near you, speak with the homeowners about their experience and get any queries you may have answered
Air source heat pump myth-busting
Heat pumps are a new, untested technology.
- This is not true. The technology used by air source heat pumps has been around for 160 years (they use the same technology as your fridge), so they are in no way new or untested. They have been used in domestic homes since the 1960s, with improvements made to meet our current energy demands.
Air-source heat pumps are not as efficient as gas boilers.
- Air-source heat pumps are three times more energy efficient than the average gas boiler. Unlike typical boilers, which heat up and turn off throughout the day, a heat pump is designed to stay on in the background, maintaining a consistent temperature in your home.
You need a well-insulated home for the heat pump to work.
- Well-designed heat pumps can heat homes of all sizes and ages. But to be as efficient and cost-effective as possible, your home should be properly insulated first. A survey can determine if additional insulation measures are required before installing a heat pump. Ensuring your property has sufficient insulation first will help keep the heat generated by the heat pump in your home.
Heat pumps aren’t right for the UK climate and can only work in warm countries.
- That's not true. Heat pumps have been installed all over the world. They are particularly popular in Scandinavian countries, with 60% of homes in Norway having them. Air source heat pumps operate at temperatures as low as -25°C, and although they may use a little more energy during the coldest winter spells, they are still more energy-efficient than a typical gas boiler.
Heat pumps are noisy.
- With modern units, this isn’t the case at all. The engine of the heat pump is called a compressor, and it generates a little noise, ranging from 40 to 60 decibels (about the same as a refrigerator). With the heat pump fitted outside the home, the noise levels should be no more intrusive than those of a gas boiler when you are indoors.
Heat pumps are expensive to run.
- Like with most energy measures, it depends on your energy provider, energy tariff, what other energy efficient measures you have in your home and the energy system you are replacing. If your home is well insulated and you are using the heat pump efficiently, you should see a decrease in your energy bills. In fact, the more energy efficient measures you have in place, the better. This means you can connect everything together, saving you more money on your energy bills.
Heat pumps need a lot of maintenance.
- This is not true. Regular annual servicing is required, as is the case with gas boilers. However, as the pump has minimal moving parts, little maintenance should be necessary.
Heat pumps take up too much space.
- A heat pump is kept outside your home and is about the same size as an adult bike. It only needs 1m at the front and 300mm on each side and to the rear to allow for ventilation.
The outdoor heat pump unit needs to be more than 1m from my neighbour’s boundary.
- In 2025, the requirement for a heat pump's outdoor unit to be installed at least 1m from a property boundary was removed. This means that a heat pump could be installed within 1 metre of your boundary without requiring planning permission.
However, planning requirements can vary depending on your property and the proposed installation. If you're unsure whether planning permission is needed, it's a good idea to contact your Local Planning Authority for advice. If you would like more information about heat pumps, visit the Centre for Sustainable Energy’s website.
Grants and projects are available across the county to help residents install an air source heat pump. This includes the government’s flagship Boiler Upgrade Scheme and grants to fully fund such improvements for those in fuel poverty or on low income. If you would like more information regarding these projects and grants, contact us at retrofit@oxfordshire.gov.uk or register your interest via our online form.