The decision between a gas boiler and a heat pump becomes more crucial as we work to reduce our home’s energy use and environmental impact. Each heating system has benefits and drawbacks of its own. The best option for your house will rely on a number of variables like cost, efficiency, and fit for your unique requirements. To make the best choice, here is everything you need to know about the efficiency of heat pumps vs gas boilers.
Heat Pumps and Gas Boilers: A Comparison

Heat Pumps

Heat pumps are an energy-efficient technology that facilitates the transfer of heat from one location to another. Air-source heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps, and water-source heat pumps are three different ways heat pumps can remove heat from a material. With their great versatility, heat pumps can supply your home with both warmth and cooling.
Heat Pumps: The Benefits
- Energy Efficiency: Heat pumps move heat rather than produce it, making them extremely energy-efficient. A heat pump can generate many heating or cooling units for each unit of electricity used.
- Heat pumps are a more sustainable choice since they harness renewable energy from the ground, the air, or the water.
- Reduced Carbon Emissions: Heat pumps emit less carbon dioxide than conventional heating systems because they run on renewable energy.
- Versatility: Heat pumps are a flexible choice for year-round comfort since they can supply both heating and cooling.
Heat Pumps: The Drawbacks
- Expensive Initial Cost: Installing a heat pump can be expensive, particularly for ground source systems that need substantial groundwork.
- Effectiveness in Cold Climates: Despite technological developments boosting their effectiveness, air source heat pumps might be less effective in extremely cold conditions.
- Room Requirements: Installing a ground loop on a ground source heat pump requires substantial room, which may not be possible for smaller properties.
Gas Boilers

For many households, gas boilers—called combi boilers when they supply heating and hot water—are a popular option. They heat water by burning natural gas, and the heated water is then distributed through underfloor heating systems or radiators to offer warmth.
Gas Boilers: The Benefits
- Well-Established Technology: With a track record of success, gas boilers are a commonly utilised and well-established technology.
- Cost-Effective Installation: If a gas supply is already present, installing a gas boiler is typically less expensive than installing a heat pump.
- High Efficiency: Today’s condensing gas boilers are incredibly efficient, turning a sizable percentage of the fuel into heat that can be used.
- Dependable Performance: Gas boilers deliver steady and dependable warmth even at extremely frigid temperatures.
Gas Boilers: The Drawbacks
- Dependency on Fossil Fuels: Natural gas, a fossil fuel that gas boilers consume, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental damage.
- Operating expenses: Natural gas prices are subject to change, which could eventually result in increased operating expenses.
- Maintenance Requirements: To guarantee safe and effective operation, gas boilers need to have regular maintenance.
Efficiency Comparison: Heat Pump and Gas Boiler

Heat pumps often function more efficiently than gas boilers in terms of efficiency. The Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the UK (SEDBUK) rating for gas boilers or the Coefficient of Performance (COP) for heat pumps is commonly used to assess the efficiency of a heating system.
Efficiency of Heat Pumps

Heat pumps may generate three to four units of heat for every unit of electricity used, with a COP ranging from three to four. Their capacity to transport heat rather than produce it accounts for their remarkable efficiency. Particularly in colder climates, ground-source heat pumps typically have greater COPs than air-source heat pumps.
Efficiency of Heat Boilers

With efficiency ratings ranging from 90% to 94%, modern condensing gas boilers effectively convert between 90% and 94% of the fuel into useful heat. This is still less effective than heat pumps’ coefficient of performance, even though it is highly efficient for a combustion-based system.
Which is better for You: A Combi Boiler or a Heat Pump?

The decision between a combi boiler and a heat pump is influenced by several variables, such as your environmental choices, your budget, the size of your home, and the local climate.
Think About a Heat Pump If These Things Relate To You
- Impact on the Environment: You’re searching for a heating solution that emits fewer greenhouse gases and is better for the environment.
- Long-Term Savings: In exchange for longer-term energy savings, you are prepared to pay greater upfront expenditures.
- Use of Renewable Energy: You wish to heat and cool your home using renewable energy sources.
- All-year Comfort: A system that can handle both heating and cooling is required.
Think About A Combi Boiler If These Things Relate To You
Initial Cost: You need an affordable heating solution because your installation budget is tight.
- Dependable Heating: You need a heating system that you can count on to work efficiently, even in extremely cold temperatures.
- Space Restrictions: A ground source heat pump cannot meet its criteria due to your small space.
- Existing Infrastructure: Your home already has conventional radiators or underfloor heating systems installed, along with a gas supply.
The Cost of Running a Heat Pump vs Gas Boiler

Heat pumps and gas boilers vary in price, from installation to running costs. Here, you will discover the running costs of each.
Operating Costs of Heat Pumps
A heat pump can be expensive to install initially, but it usually costs less than a gas boiler. Due to their great efficiency, heat pumps require electricity, which might be more affordable if you have access to solar panels or other renewable energy sources. Furthermore, government grants and incentives may mitigate upfront expenses for renewable energy installations.
Operating Costs of a Gas Boiler
The price of natural gas, which is subject to change, determines how much a gas boiler will cost to operate. Despite their efficiency, modern gas boilers might be more expensive to run over time due to the cost of fuel. The total cost of operation also includes future repairs and routine maintenance.
Is A Boiler Necessary With a Heat Pump?

Since heat pumps provide heating and hot water, a boiler is typically optional when using one. Still, there are instances in which a hybrid system—which combines a gas boiler and a heat pump—might be useful.
Hybrid Systems
A heat pump serves as the main heating source in a hybrid system, with a gas boiler supplying extra heat during periods of high demand or extreme cold. This configuration can maximise effectiveness and guarantee dependable heating results. Hybrid systems work especially well in places with severely cold winters or older houses with high heat demands.
Air Source Heat Pump vs Electric Boiler: The Ultimate Showdown

With the growing importance of energy efficiency and environmental concerns, homeowners have to make key decisions about their heating systems. Heat pumps and gas boilers are two popular choices, each with pros and cons. This thorough guide will examine the suitability and efficiency of heat pumps in comparison to different kinds of boilers. We’ll compare heat pumps with oil boilers, ground-source heat pumps with gas boilers, and air-source heat pumps with electric boilers.
Comprehending Air Source Heat Pumps
Air source heat pumps (ASHPs) are renewable energy systems that draw heat from the outside air to heat your house and deliver hot water. They function well even in colder climates, although their effectiveness may drop at very low temperatures. Because they can drastically cut carbon emissions and energy costs, ASHPs are very popular.
Comprehending Electric Boilers
Conversely, electric boilers use electricity to heat water for your home’s hot water requirements and heating system. They are especially helpful in households without access to the gas grid because they are small and easy to install. Since electric boilers don’t release combustion byproducts, they are also seen as cleaner.
Comparison of Efficiency

- The Coefficient of Performance (COP): Heat pumps and the efficiency rating for electric boilers are the most important metrics to consider when comparing the efficiency of ASHPs and electric boilers.
- Coefficient of Performance (COP): The normal COP for an ASHP is between 2.5 and 4. This indicates that they generate 2.5 to 4 units of heat energy for every unit of electricity used. Heat transmission, not heat generation, is the cause of this high efficiency.
- Efficiency of Electric Boilers: Since no energy is lost during combustion, electric boilers have an efficiency of almost 100% when it comes to turning electrical energy into heat. However, they are constrained by the high price of power in comparison to other fuels and the negative effects of electricity generation on the environment.
Pros and Cons of Both
Here, we will detail the pros and cons of heat pumps with an air source and electric boilers.
Air Source Heat Pumps:
- Pros: It offers both heating and cooling, lower operating expenses, lower carbon emissions, and is a renewable energy source.
- Cons: It is more expensive initially, less effective in very cold temperatures, and requires more insulation for the best results.
Electric Boilers
- Pros: Cheaper starting costs, simple installation, small size, and no fuel storage requirement.
- Cons: The cons are limited electrical supply capacity, an increased carbon footprint if electricity originates from non-renewable sources, and increased operating costs due to rising electricity prices.
Ground Source Heat Pump vs Gas Boiler: Which Is More Efficient?

Understanding Ground Source Heat Pumps
Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) generate hot water and heat by taking advantage of the constant temperatures below the surface. They entail setting up an underground network of pipes that can run vertically or horizontally to carry heat from the refrigerant’s source to the house. GSHPs are renowned for their exceptional efficiency and capacity to deliver reliable heating.
Understanding Gas Boilers
Burning natural gas to heat water for heating systems and hot water demands is a widespread and well-established method used in gas boilers, especially condensing versions. They are renowned for being dependable and efficient, particularly in frigid regions.
Comparison of Efficiency
GSHPs often offer superior efficiency compared to gas boilers. This is expressed in terms of Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) for gas boilers and COP for heat pumps.
- Coefficient of Performance (COP): The COP of GSHPs is usually between 3.5 and 5, meaning that for every unit of electricity used, they can generate 3.5 to 5 units of heat energy. The constant temperatures below the surface provide a consistent heat source.
- Efficiency of Gas Boilers: Today’s condensing gas boilers can get efficiency ratings of 90% to 95%, which indicates that a significant portion of the fuel is converted into heat that can be used. However, they still emit carbon dioxide and depend on fossil fuels.
Pros and Cons
Ground Source Heat Pumps
- Pros: Year-round reliable performance, cheap operating expenses, renewable energy source, and high efficiency.
- Cons: Exorbitant installation expenses because of the groundwork, large installation space needed, and extended payback time.
Gas Boilers
- Pros: Less expensive upfront, dependable cold-weather performance, proven technology, and less expensive ongoing maintenance than electric boilers.
- Cons: Reliance on fossil fuels and increased carbon.
Heat Pump vs Oil Boiler: Which is the Better Choice?

Understanding Heat Pumps
Heat pumps are adaptable devices that use renewable energy sources to deliver hot water, heating, and cooling. They are available in both air-source and ground-source varieties. As nations endeavour to curtail carbon emissions, their efficacy and ecological advantages render them progressively more favoured.
Understanding Oil Boilers
Similar to gas boilers, oil boilers use combustion to heat water for hot water and heating systems. These usually need on-site oil storage and are utilised in places without access to the gas grid.
Comparison of Efficiency
When contrasting oil boilers with heat pumps, it is crucial to take into account both their COP and their efficiency ratings.
- Coefficient of Performance (COP): As previously shown, heat pumps are quite effective at converting power into heat, with COPs ranging from 2.5 to 5.
- Oil Boiler Efficiency: Today’s condensing oil boilers can get efficiency ratings ranging from 85% to 95%. Although this is less efficient than the COP of heat pumps, it is still efficient for a combustion-based system.
Pros and Cons
Heat Pumps
- Pros: Benefits include fewer carbon emissions, lower operating costs, high efficiency, and renewable energy.
- Cons: Higher installation costs, air source models’ performance may be impacted by extremely cold weather, and ground source models require more area.
Oil Boilers
- Pros: Dependable heating in remote locations, comparatively lower start-up expenses, recognisable technology, and effective heating output.
- Cons: Increased carbon emissions, reliance on the availability and price of oil, need for frequent maintenance, and requirement for fuel storage space.
A Summary
Selecting an appropriate heating system for your house is essential for energy efficiency and comfort. Heat pumps and gas boilers are two common choices, each with specific benefits and drawbacks. Understanding these can help you make an informed choice.
Heat pumps are renewable energy devices that heat your house by taking heat from the earth or the surrounding air. In the summer, they can also chill your house. One of their main advantages is their great efficiency. Their Coefficient of Performance (COP) usually falls between 2.5 and 4. This indicates that for every unit of power used, they may generate 2.5 to 4 units of heat. Heat pumps do not produce heat. Instead, they transfer it, which accounts for their high efficiency.
Furthermore, heat pumps are less environmentally harmful than conventional heating systems since they employ renewable energy sources and emit fewer carbon emissions.
However, gas boilers are a tried-and-true technology that heats water by burning natural gas. Your house is then heated by the circulation of this heated water through radiators or underfloor heating systems. Condensing gas boilers of today have efficiency ratings of 90% to 94%, which is fairly high. This indicates that much of the fuel is converted into useful heat. Furthermore, dependable gas boilers consistently heat buildings—even in bitterly cold climates. Compared to heat pumps, they are frequently less expensive to install initially, particularly if your property has a gas supply.
Heat pumps typically perform better than gas boilers when it comes to efficiency. They require less electricity to create the same quantity of heat because of their greater COP. In the long term, this may result in decreased energy bills. Heat pumps can, however, be expensive to install at first, especially ground source heat pumps that need substantial foundation.
Another thing to consider is the impact on the environment. Heat pumps lessen your carbon impact by using renewable energy sources. Conversely, gas heaters consume fossil fuels, which increases greenhouse gas emissions. A heat pump is a preferable option if you’re concerned about your environmental impact.
However, the choice between a gas boiler and a heat pump also depends on your unique situation. An air-source heat pump may struggle to sustain efficiency in a region with extremely cold winters, in which case a gas boiler may be more dependable. Additionally, a ground-source heat pump might not be practical if your outdoor space is limited.
Both gas boilers and heat pumps have benefits and drawbacks. Although heat pumps are more economical and ecologically friendly, they can be less effective in extremely cold climates and have greater installation expenses. At first, gas boilers are dependable and economical, but they are less effective and have a greater environmental impact.