New study claims heat pump efficiency is 4x gas boilers

The energy provider claims that the average efficiency of the heat pumps it installs in homes is 340 per cent, meaning that 3.4 units of heat are produced for every unit of electricity used. By contrast, the average gas boiler efficiency in the UK is claimed to be just 82 per cent, making Good Energy’s heat pumps 4.1 times more efficient.

According to the company, the figure has been achieved by heat pumps which have seen a full year of operation providing 12 months of data, averaging across all seasons in what is known as Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCOP). It includes all heating and hot water at a system level that is comparable to a combi boiler and reflects real world seasonal changes in use and weather.

Good Energy claims that a typical home requiring 11,500kWh of heat per year would save £150 on bills with a heat pump under the current price cap. Data was based on a wide selection of real homes including detached, semi-detached and terraced houses from 10 to 100 years in age.