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Heat pumps
A heat pump is an energy efficient way of heating your home and could help cut your home’s carbon footprint.
How do heat pumps work?
Even when it's a bit cold, the ground or air outside can still be warm.
A heat pump uses something called a compressor to extract this warmth.
It can then be used to heat radiators and a hot water tank in your home.
Source: Energy Saving Trust
A helping hand for Halifax customers
We’ve teamed up with Octopus Energy to help cut the cost of installing a heat pump. Octopus are currently installing in England & Wales. Register for a quote today.
- £100 bill credit on your Octopus Energy account for all Halifax customers.
- £2,000 cashback if you have a Halifax mortgage and qualify for our Green Living Reward.
- Up to £7,500 towards your heat pump installation if you qualify for a government grant.
Halifax isn’t responsible for any improvements carried out by your chosen supplier.
Vicky and Matt's air source heat pump experience
Vicky and Matt tell us about their experience installing their air source heat pump and getting to claim their Green Living Reward.
Disclaimer: Any views expressed in these videos are the customers’ own, not those of Halifax. All cashback values were correct at the time of filming and might not match current values. Customers in these videos used their own installers.
Why get a heat pump?
- Reduce your energy - traditional gas boilers use more energy than heat pumps for the same amount of heat.
- Better for the planet - carbon emissions could be lower than a gas boiler, especially if you use renewable electricity.
- Heat pumps can last 20 years - a well installed heat pump will require relatively little maintenance.
Types of heat pump
Air source heat pumps
These are the most popular type of heat pump in the UK because of how efficient they are. They work by bringing warm air in from outside to heat water, radiators, and underfloor heating. A separate hot water tank is needed as they can't heat water instantly, like a gas boiler can.
Total costs are around £7,000 - £13,000 and might vary by supplier.
Ground source heat pumps
These heat pumps use an underground pipe to bring natural warmth up from the ground. The warmth is mixed with a special fluid and passed through a heat exchanger, ready to be used for hot water and to heat radiators and underfloor heating. And, as with air source heat pumps, a hot water tank is needed.
Total costs are around £14,000 - £19,000 and might vary by supplier.
Air-to-air heat pumps
This type of heat pump works a bit like an air conditioning unit in reverse, as it sucks in warm air from the outside and blows it inside. Air-to-air heat pumps can’t heat hot water, so they’re perfect for flats and other smaller places which don’t have any radiators or underfloor heating.
Total costs are around £1,600 - £3,100 and might vary by supplier.
Is a heat pump right for my home?
This depends on a few things. Heat pumps work best in well-insulated homes, so it’s best to check this out before you start thinking about getting a heat pump. An easy way to do this is to find out your home’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. If yours is a D or above and it says you have insulation, you should be good to go.
Most heat pumps use radiators to heat your home, just like boilers do. Sometimes, your existing radiators might be too small for a heat pump to work efficiently and will need replacing, but this isn’t always the case. A heat pump usually works well with existing underfloor heating too.
You’ll need some outside space for most heat pumps though. Around the size of a moped is usually enough for an air source heat pump. Ground source heat pumps take up more space than that, as they usually need a trench or borehole digging, plus a room inside for the operating system.
Other important information
Halifax releasing any funds towards a purchase doesn’t guarantee the quality of work done by the supplier. It’s up to you to make sure you’re satisfied with the improvements carried out.
Home energy grants and schemes
Help is available if you’re planning on upgrading or replacing your heating system with a new low-carbon one. But it’s different depending on where you live in the UK.
England and Wales:
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) offers grants of up to £7,500 to replace gas, oil, and electric boilers and heating systems with lower carbon alternatives, including heat pumps and biomass boilers. Homes must meet certain EPC standards and other conditions to qualify. In Wales, the Nest scheme helps lower income families make their homes more energy efficient and better at saving water.
Scotland:
Home Energy Scotland offers grants of up to £7,500 for energy saving home improvements, like heating and insulation through the Warmer Homes Scotland programme. The scheme is funded by the Scottish Government to carry out improvements, such as wall and loft insulation, draught proofing, new boilers, and renewable energy projects with the aim of making homes warmer and cutting domestic energy bills.
Find out about discounts on home improvements.