How much power does a heat pump use?
6 min read below · SolarFast knowledge base
A heat pump's power use depends on your heat demand and the SCOP. How to run the numbers yourself, and what pushes consumption up or down in practice.
A heat pump's power consumption follows from two things: how much heat your home demands and how efficiently the unit produces it (the SCOP). Divide the heat demand by the SCOP for a first estimate. In practice, insulation, heat delivery and heating habits decide whether you end up above or below it.
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What does consumption depend on?
There is no fixed consumption per heat pump; the unit delivers what your home demands. Three factors decide the outcome. The heat demand: how much heat your house needs for heating and hot water, driven mainly by size and insulation. The efficiency: how many kilowatt-hours of heat the unit makes per kilowatt-hour of power. And your habits: turning the thermostat up a degree or showering long asks for more.
That efficiency is expressed in the SCOP. From one kilowatt-hour of power a heat pump makes three to five kilowatt-hours of heat, according to Milieu Centraal (Dutch). That is exactly why a heat pump is so much more efficient than an electric heater, which turns one kilowatt-hour of power into exactly one kilowatt-hour of heat.
Making a first estimate yourself
The calculation is simple: heat demand divided by SCOP. If your home needs 12,000 kilowatt-hours of heat per year and the unit reaches a SCOP of 4 with your heat delivery system, you arrive at about 3,000 kilowatt-hours of power. You will not know your heat demand by heart, but your gas consumption is the best pointer: nearly all the gas of an average household goes to heating and hot water.
| Heat demand per year | SCOP 3.5 | SCOP 4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| 8,000 kWh | approx. 2,300 kWh | approx. 1,800 kWh |
| 12,000 kWh | approx. 3,400 kWh | approx. 2,700 kWh |
| 16,000 kWh | approx. 4,600 kWh | approx. 3,600 kWh |
Indicative sums, rounded; the real outcome depends on insulation, heat delivery and heating habits. Consumption and savings tables per housing type are published by Milieu Centraal.
Note the difference between the two columns: the same home, only a different efficiency, saves hundreds of kilowatt-hours per year. That is why the heat delivery system weighs so heavily: the lower the water temperature to your floor or radiators, the higher the SCOP. For figures per housing type and insulation level, see the consumption tables at Milieu Centraal (Dutch).
Hybrid or all-electric: different consumption
A hybrid heat pump shares the work with your gas boiler: the unit heats electrically as long as that is efficient and the boiler steps in on cold days and for hot water. Power consumption is therefore considerably lower than all-electric, but you keep some gas use; on the gas used for heating you save roughly 60 to 70 percent.
An all-electric heat pump does everything on power, including your hot water. Your power consumption rises harder, but your gas use drops to zero. Which route fits which home is covered in our comparison hybrid vs all-electric.
What pushes consumption down (or drives it up)
Insulation is the biggest dial: every kilowatt-hour of heat that does not leak away never has to be produced. That is why insulating comes before the heat pump, not after; which steps pay off most is covered in insulation and heat pumps. Next comes the supply temperature: underfloor heating or generously sized low-temperature radiators let the unit run at its most efficient.
What drives consumption up: high water temperatures due to undersized radiators, heavy hot water use, and a unit sized too large or too small for the home. That last one is a survey mistake you see on your bill for years, and exactly why we calculate the capacity instead of installing a standard size.
Heat pump next to solar panels: the honest story
Solar panels and a heat pump are a logical combination, with one honest caveat: the heat pump consumes most in winter, exactly when panels produce least. Over the full year your panels offset a good share of the extra power use, but in January the unit runs largely on grid power. If you are considering the combination, start with solar panels and add the heat pump on top of that calculation.
How SolarFast estimates your consumption
During the site survey we look at your gas consumption over recent years, your insulation and your heat delivery system. From that follows an expected power consumption that fits your home, with the SCOP that belongs to it instead of the prettiest brochure figure.
Want an indication for your situation up front? Send us your question or see our heat pump page.
Related articles
What do COP and SCOP mean?
COP and SCOP tell you how much heat a heat pump delivers per kWh of power. The difference between the two figures and how to read them in a quote.
Heat pump insulation: why and what you need
Without good insulation a heat pump works harder and costs more to run. How to test at 50 degrees and choose between hybrid or all-electric.
Underfloor heating and heat pumps: ideal match?
Why underfloor heating and a heat pump work so well together, when radiators are enough and what fitting it in an existing floor involves.
What is a kWh (kilowatt-hour)?
What is a kilowatt-hour (kWh)? Power vs. energy explained, converting watts to kWh and reading your use on your annual statement.
Hybrid vs all-electric heat pump
Hybrid or all-electric heat pump: how insulation drives the choice, what you save on gas, and how the heating test shows if your home is ready.
Frequently asked questions
How much power does a heat pump use per year?
It differs per home: divide the heat demand by the SCOP for a first estimate. A home with a 12,000 kWh heat demand and a SCOP of 4 comes to about 3,000 kWh of power per year. Insulation, heat delivery and heating habits determine the real outcome.
Does a hybrid heat pump use less power?
Yes, because the gas boiler steps in on cold days and usually provides the hot water. In return you keep part of your gas use; on the gas used for heating you save roughly 60 to 70 percent.
Will my energy bill go up with a heat pump?
Your power use rises, but your gas use drops sharply or disappears entirely. Because a heat pump turns one kilowatt-hour of power into three to five kilowatt-hours of heat, total energy costs come out lower than with a gas boiler in most homes. The survey makes that concrete.
Does a heat pump use more in winter?
Yes, by far the most: heat demand is highest then and efficiency somewhat lower due to the cold outdoor air. Solar panels produce least in winter, so in those months the unit runs largely on grid power.
How do I keep an eye on my heat pump's consumption?
Many units show consumption in their own app. If it structurally deviates from what was calculated in the quote, have the installer take a look: the cause is often a setting or a supply temperature set too high.
What does heating one degree lower save?
Every degree lower reduces the heat demand and thus power consumption noticeably. Combined with a night setback that suits a heat pump (a modest one, since the unit prefers a constant temperature), the thermostat is the cheapest saving dial.
We apply this every day
The same knowledge you're reading here, we put to work for households across the Netherlands.