Heat Pumps Win Over Homeowners, Says Octopus Energy

Heat pumps are gaining strong approval from UK homeowners, with the vast majority now rating them as equal to, or better than, traditional gas boilers, according to new data released today by Octopus Energy.

The energy company, now the UK’s largest heat pump installer, revealed that 94% of its customers find heat pumps as comfortable or more comfortable than their old gas heating systems. In addition, 85% report that running costs are equal to or lower than their previous boiler setups, helping to dispel long-standing myths around cost and performance.

The findings arrive on the heels of a significant regulatory change. The UK government has officially scrapped the one-meter planning rule, which had previously forced nearly half of heat pump installations to undergo lengthy and expensive planning permission processes. The requirement had added an average of £347 in costs and up to eight weeks in delays, Octopus said.

This shift is seen as a critical step in accelerating the country’s transition to low-carbon heating technologies. For years, planning restrictions, originally designed with outdated assumptions about noise and size, have stood in the way of widespread adoption.

However, Octopus Energy notes that noise restrictions continue to pose a significant challenge.

Currently, heat pumps must not exceed 37 decibels at the nearest neighbouring property, roughly equivalent to quiet birdsong. While 86% of Octopus customers describe their heat pumps as quieter than traditional boilers, the company estimates that 35% of installations still face planning delays due to the noise cap.

Raising the allowable noise level by just 1 decibel, Octopus argues, could halve the number of households forced into planning, potentially unlocking access for thousands more properties across the UK.

Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Chief Product Officer at Octopus Energy said, “It’s great that the government has finally tackled one of the biggest hurdles to wider heat pump adoption. Our customers tell us loud and clear that heat pumps are quiet, cosy, and affordable and the data backs them up.”

“But we’re still asking them to jump through hoops because of old-fashioned noise rules, even though heat pumps are quieter than fridges and sit outside. If we fix that last hurdle, we can get even more heat pumps into homes—cutting carbon, cutting costs, and cutting our reliance on gas for good.”

Octopus is seeing surging demand for its award-winning installations, with over 50,000 new enquiries in just the past three months. The company’s campaign to remove the final regulatory obstacles is part of a broader push to mainstream heat pumps as the standard for home heating in a net-zero future.

As the UK looks to phase out fossil-fuel heating systems in the years ahead, today’s developments mark a meaningful step in aligning policy with homeowner demand and in making green heating more accessible.