In a well-designed system in a reasonably insulated home, yes — a heat pump typically runs around 10-25% cheaper than a new A-rated gas boiler, and the gap is much wider against an old, inefficient one.
Why the saving exists. A gas boiler is at best about 90% efficient — you never get more energy out than you put in. A heat pump moves heat rather than making it, so for every unit of electricity it uses it delivers roughly three to four units of heat. Electricity costs more per unit than gas in the UK, which eats into that advantage, but a well-designed system still comes out ahead.
Where the saving is biggest:
- Replacing oil or LPG. This is where the numbers look genuinely strong — those fuels cost considerably more per unit than mains gas.
- Homes with solar PV, where some of the heat pump's electricity is self-generated.
- Well-insulated properties where the system can run at low flow temperatures.
Where it can go the other way:
- Draughty, poorly insulated homes where the pump has to work hard to keep up
- Systems with undersized radiators, forcing higher flow temperatures and killing efficiency
- Badly commissioned installs — a heat pump that has never been properly tuned can run far worse than its rating suggests
That last point is the one people underestimate. The difference between a good and a poor heat pump install shows up directly on the electricity bill. It is why we do a proper room-by-room heat loss calculation, size the emitters against it, and spend time on weather compensation at commissioning rather than leaving it on factory settings.
At the survey we will give you a realistic running-cost comparison for your actual home. If the numbers do not work, we will tell you.