High costs and uncertainties cast a chill over Britain’s heat pump market

The transition to heat pumps is hampered by the UK’s particularly well established gas network. Photograph: Getty Images

Cutting carbon emissions in the home is a key part of the UK’s drive to meet net zero climate targets and one of the most promising alternatives to a domestic gas boiler is a heat pump, which uses electricity to channel warmth from the ground or the air into the home.

Yet although heat pumps can transform 1 kilowatt of green electricity into 3kW-worth of heat, their benefits have been overshadowed by concerns about cost, and uptake has been low.