♨️

Heat Pumps · Flagship calculator

Heat Pump Savings Calculator

Compare the annual running cost of an air- or ground-source heat pump against your current gas, oil, LPG or direct-electric heating. See payback period and CO₂ reduction — with editable prices, SCOP and grants.

Your home & heating

kWh/year

Rule of thumb: 100 m² well-insulated home ≈ 5,000–8,000 kWh · 150 m² older home ≈ 15,000–20,000 kWh.

EU grid avg 0.23 · UK 0.19 · Norway 0.02 · US 0.37

Annual running-cost savings

€561

You save vs natural gas at these prices.

Payback

21.4 years

Installed cost €12,000 ÷ annual savings.

CO₂ reduction / year

2,656 kg

= 2.7 tonnes · from cleaner electricity vs fossil combustion.

Current cost

€1,667/yr

Heat pump cost

€1,105/yr

Fuel used now

16,667 kWh

HP electricity

3,947 kWh

Break-even SCOP

2.5 — you need SCOP above this to save

How the math works

The calculator is a direct energy-balance model — no fudge factors, no marketing assumptions. Two costs, one comparison:

Current cost/year = (heat demand ÷ boiler efficiency) ÷ kWh-per-unit × fuel price

Heat pump cost/year = heat demand ÷ SCOP × electricity price

Payback = installed cost ÷ (current − heat pump)

Heat demand is delivered heat into the home — not fuel input. If you only know last year's gas bill, multiply by boiler efficiency (typically 0.90 for a modern condensing gas boiler) to get delivered heat.

SCOP matters more than any other single input. Doubling SCOP halves the running cost. Realistic SCOP depends on flow temperature: low-temperature underfloor at 35 °C gives 3.8–4.5 for a good air-source unit; radiators at 55 °C typically give 2.8–3.4.

CO₂ savings use the emission factor of your grid — this is the single biggest driver of climate benefit. In Norway (near-zero grid), almost 100% of combustion CO₂ is avoided. In coal-heavy grids, savings are smaller but still positive versus gas because SCOP typically outpaces the CO₂ per kWh gap.

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is this heat pump savings calculator?
The calculator applies the same energy-balance formula an installer uses: annual heat demand ÷ SCOP × electricity price, compared against fuel-use ÷ boiler efficiency × fuel price. Accuracy depends on your inputs — the SCOP you enter should reflect real seasonal performance in your climate (typically 2.8–4.5 for air-source, 4.0–5.0 for ground-source). Fuel prices and CO₂ factors are set to 2024 European averages you can override.
What SCOP should I use?
For a modern air-source heat pump on radiators at 55 °C flow, use 2.8–3.4. For underfloor heating or oversized radiators at 35–40 °C flow, use 3.8–4.5. Ground-source systems: 4.0–5.0. Manufacturer data sheets quote COP at a single operating point (often 7 °C outdoor, 35 °C flow) — this is usually 15–25% higher than realistic SCOP in a cold-winter climate.
How do I estimate annual heat demand if I don't know it?
Use the home-size preset: 100 kWh per m² per year for a poorly insulated home, 50 kWh/m² for a modern well-insulated home, 15 kWh/m² for a passive house. Alternatively, read last year's gas meter — total kWh × boiler efficiency gives delivered heat.
Does this include hot water?
The heat demand you enter should cover space heating and, if the heat pump will do it, domestic hot water. Hot water typically adds 2,000–4,000 kWh per year for a family home. Hot water is produced at higher flow temperatures (55–65 °C), which lowers seasonal SCOP by 0.2–0.5 — factor this into the SCOP input.
What about installation grants and subsidies?
The installation cost input is net of any upfront grant. In the UK the Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers up to £7,500; in Norway ENOVA subsidises air-to-water and ground-source; in the US the IRA offers up to $2,000 tax credit plus rebates. Deduct these from the installed price before entering it here.
Is a heat pump always cheaper to run than gas?
Not always. The break-even ratio is: SCOP × boiler-efficiency > electricity-price ÷ fuel-price. If your electricity is more than about 3.5× the gas price and your SCOP is only 3.0, gas may still win on running cost. This calculator shows the answer for your exact prices and SCOP.