The war on Iran has unexpectedly boosted the UK’s uptake of heat pumps. But are they really worth the investment?
Heat pumps are freeing Europeans from volatile gas prices, despite being caught up in the culture war on net zero.
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According to 2023 data from Eurostat, almost 50 per cent of all energy consumed in the EU is used for heating and cooling, but the majority still comes from fossil fuels (mostly natural gas). The European Commission says heat pump technology is now “key” in enabling the clean energy transition and achieving the EU’s carbon neutrality goal by 2050.
Around 2.8 million heat pumps were installed in the EU in 2022. This slowed to a further 2.7 million in 2023, followed by 2.11 million in 2024. Preliminary data from 13 Member States shows that the heat pump market grew by 11 per cent in 2025, with sales rising to 2.34 million units in these markets.
Surveys have repeatedly shown that misconceptions around noise, appearance and effectiveness have stalled the technology’s uptake, despite evidence that households can save up to €270 per year.
However, as the war on Iran continues to highlight the dangers of fossil fuel reliance, heat pumps have bounced back into the limelight. In the UK, which has historically had one of Europe’s worst uptakes, heat pump sales in the first three weeks of March – when the US-Israel conflict in the Middle East began – increased by 51 per cent compared to the same period the month before, according to energy firm Octopus Energy.
Are heat pumps worth the cost?
Dominic King, a 43-year-old living in Bath, England, is one of many Brits making use of the UK government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The initiative, which is open to people living in England and Wales, provides eligible applicants with a £7,500 (around €8,658) grant towards an air source or ground source heat pump.
This meant Dominic paid £3,500 (€4,040) for the installation, which included three new radiators in the downstairs of his 1950s semi-detached house. He forked out a further £3,000 (€3463) for a 10kWh battery to “avoid peak energy pricing”.
In February 2026, the first full month the heat pump was running, Dominic spent £180 (€207) on gas and electricity, down from £255 (€294) within the same period in 2025 – a saving of £78 (€90).
“If this is sustained, we’ll be running a ‘profit’ in around seven years,” Dominic tells Euronews Earth.
Free from the worries of fossil fuel shocks
Alongside his monthly savings, Dominic says the heat pump provides him with “much more certainty” when it comes to his energy bills.
“I feel sorry for people who have to deal with volatile gas prices, for example when geopolitics makes the prices skyrocket, but I’m very happy that I don’t need to worry about this anymore,” he adds.
Dominic’s heat pump keeps his home at around 20C all day, regardless of the outside temperature. One of the main misconceptions around heat pumps is that they don’t work in cold countries, despite some of Europe’s coolest nations having the largest uptake.
Heat pumps work perfectly in countries where winter temperatures rarely fall below -10C, which covers most of Europe. Even when temperatures plunge to -30C, heat pumps can still be more efficient than electric heating.
This is because, even in sub-zero conditions, outside air and water still contain useful amounts of energy.
“My wife hasn’t moaned,” he says. “While once we regularly locked horns over the thermostat, we now live in a state of unalloyed marital bliss – as far as room temperature goes anyway.
“My kids don’t moan either. They like their showers so hot that the bathroom turns into something of a steam room, but we’ve had no complaints on scalding water volumes thus far.
“I no longer wear a woolly hat when working from home: this reduces the risk of ‘helmet hair’ on video calls plus I feel more productive when my nose isn’t cold.”
Addressing concerns that heat pumps are unattractive, Dominic’s installer from Octopus Energy points out that home exteriors are often marred by bins and pipes, which nobody seems to complain about.
“Just to be on the safe side though, I did ask my neighbour for his take on the new installation,” Dominic says. “He confirmed we’re unlikely to come to blows anytime soon over it, which is a relief.”
