How does an air source heat pump work?

Air source heat pumps don’t generate heat - they just move it. By pulling existing warmth from the air outside and bringing it into your home, they keep you cosy in winter and cool in summer. The way heat pumps move air is what makes them so smart. It’s this clever tech that puts air source heat pumps at the forefront of low-carbon heating - cutting emissions and helping you go greener without compromising on comfort. Take a look at how it works below.

Green Impact

Air source heat pumps are impressively clever little machines. They use a small amount of electricity to capture natural warmth from the air outside and amplify it to heat your home. In fact, air source heat pumps can deliver several units of heat for each unit of electricity. For every 1 kWh of electricity you put in, you could get an average of up to 3.3 KWh heat out. For Octopus customers with low temperature heat pumps, the typical seasonal coefficient is 330%, so up to 4 times more efficient than the typical gas boiler with an 85% efficiency.

What does that mean for you (and the planet)? Right away, you'll be using around a quarter of the carbon emissions of a traditional boiler. And as the UK energy grid goes fully green, your heating could eventually become zero carbon.

Since they’re so efficient, air source heat pumps need far less renewable energy than other low-carbon options like electric boilers, and their flexibility means they can even help ease pressure on the grid during peak times.

Our customers are leading the way in the switch to low-carbon heating. We asked 1,607 people who had a heat pump installed between April and December 2024 to rate their experience, and the results speak for themselves. A strong 86% rated their satisfaction between 7 and 10, showing that most are glad they made the move from a gas boiler. For many, this was their first winter with a heat pump - and it delivered.