The humble heat pump has emerged as a powerful tool in Europe’s mission to wean itself off gas heating. EU countries including France, Italy and Poland have witnessed a boom in the number of heat pumps being installed in homes, each one helping to reduce Europe’s reliance on gas – in particular that supplied by Russia.
But they have not been universally welcomed. A sceptical public and a muddled policy landscape have made the UK Europe’s heat pump laggard. And in Germany, heat pumps have emerged as a flashpoint in the country’s culture wars as the far right opposes the costs of switching away from fossil fuels.
