Heat pumps are increasingly becoming an alternative to gas heating — OilPrice
Heat pumps are increasingly being used as an alternative to gas central heating systems, particularly in new buildings in the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries. As OilPrice reports, the spread of the technology is being driven by government incentives, equipment development and the ability to use it not only for heating but also for cooling premises.
How heat pumps work
A heat pump operates on a principle similar to that of a refrigerator or air conditioner: it extracts heat from the environment, including from the air, raises its temperature and transfers it into a building. Heat can be distributed through radiators or an underfloor heating system. Such equipment can also heat water for household needs.
According to the publication, available models deliver three to four times more thermal energy than the electricity they consume. In summer, they can be used for cooling, reducing the need for separate air conditioners. At the same time, the carbon impact depends on the source of electricity: in countries where it is largely generated from fossil fuels, the operation of heat pumps is also associated with emissions.
Sales in the US and support in the UK
In the United States, heat pump sales have doubled over the past 15 years. In the first quarter of 2026, their shipments exceeded shipments of gas furnaces by 32%, although a tax credit of up to $2,000 for those installing such equipment expired at the end of 2025.
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Energy economist and University of California, Berkeley professor Lucas Davis noted in his analysis that the US heat pump market appears strong enough and does not depend on tax credits. In Massachusetts, startup Reservoir raised $8 million in seed funding and plans to increase the number of installations from 100 to 1,000 by the end of 2027.
In the United Kingdom, heat pumps are also used to cool homes during periods of summer heat. The government boiler upgrade scheme provides grants of $10,100 to homeowners in England and Wales for installing air-to-water or ground-source heat pumps. Households not connected to the gas grid can receive an additional $2,000 in support.
In 2021, heat pumps provided around 10% of global space-heating needs, while their global sales increased by nearly 15%. In Norway, 60% of buildings are equipped with them, compared with more than 40% in Sweden and Finland.
