Can a heat pump work well in an old, solid-wall or listed home?
Older homes can use heat pumps, but heat loss, radiator sizing, pipe routes and heritage consent shape the design.
Energy Editor
Giles Crosse is an experienced editor, journalist and communications consultant, specialising in consumer energy, sustainability and low carbon technologies. He has worked as Communications Consultant to the United Nations and contributed thought leadership to the World Economic Forum. Giles has written and edited energy content for major brands including Shell, EDF Energy and Good Energy, and has contributed journalism to Reuters, the BBC, The Economist and The Guardian. His work focuses on making complex energy topics clear, balanced and accessible for everyday consumers.
Older homes can use heat pumps, but heat loss, radiator sizing, pipe routes and heritage consent shape the design.
Official figures show the typical total, but radiators, cylinders, electrics and building work can move the final bill.
This article explains the off-gas test, eligible systems, evidence, costs and what the 31 March 2027 deadline means.
See how 2026 heat pump grants work, who may qualify, what is excluded and why the installer applies for you.
See how house size, insulation, flow temperature and efficiency can change an air source heat pump’s annual cost.
Specialist tariffs can lower heat-pump costs, but only when cheap hours, peak rates and your heating pattern line up.
See the break-even efficiency a heat pump needs to match gas, and how tariffs, boiler efficiency and design change it.
Confused by the latest heat pump grants? This article explains who may qualify, which systems are covered and how an installer applies on your behalf.