Heat pumps can replace oil-fired and electric heating

Heat pumps use the earth's natural heat and the sun's warmth
Heat pumps can be a good idea in areas not served by district heating or natural gas. Heat pumps use the earth's natural heat or solar energy in the atmosphere to heat a home.

Heat pumps can operate in both summer and winter, but they need electrical power to work.

Consider a heat pump if you

• Cannot be connected to district heating or natural gas
• Have an old oil-fired boiler. If you have one of these boilers you may qualify for a scrappage grant. Find out more here (link only in Danish).
• Have electric heating

Choosing the right type of pump

There are two types of heat pump for all-year-round houses:

• Geothermal systems (water source heat pumps)
  The Trust recommends installing a geothermal system because this is the most efficient. However, you need to have a large enough area (typically under the lawn in the garden) in order to use the earth's natural heat.
• Air to water heat pumps
  You can also install an air to water heat pump in your all-year-round house. This type is not as efficient as a geothermal system, but it is cheaper to install and does not require the use of any space in your garden.
• Remember that both types can only be installed if you have water-based radiators or underfloor heating.

Heat pumps for holiday home use
There is a third type of heat pump which is suitable for holiday homes. Read more about air-to-air heat pumps here.

This is where to find recommended heat pumps
The Trust recommends that you choose a heat pump with the Energy Saving Label – see list of recommended heat pumps here.
The Energy Saving Label is your guarantee that a heat pump is

• One of the most energy efficient on the market
• Programmable so you can operate and control the system optimally in relation to your consumption

Heat pumps can be very different even though the model names are similar. So remember to check that the heat pump you choose is exactly the one which appears on the list.

Supplement with solar panels
Heat pumps operate best when they are not required to deliver too high a temperature. Efficiency falls when they produce high temperature heat for hot water instead of heat at room temperature.

It can be advantageous to supplement a heat pump with a solar heating system which provides hot water to a home. The use of solar panels will probably allow you to switch off the heat pump in the summer.

> Read more about solar heating here.