A homeowner considering a heat pump for their 1850s house in the United Kingdom turned to fellow homeowners to ask if the switch would be worth the cost.
"I am worried that a heat pump wouldn't manage with my old property, does anyone have any similar experience or advice? Mainly worried about paying for an install, only for the electric to be similarly expensive or for it to not be very good!"
Here's what to know
Posting in Reddit's r/OctopusEnergy community, the homeowner described a property with double glazing, an eight-year-old liquefied petroleum gas boiler, and an energy performance certificate rating of 71.
In the post, they cited a £9,000 grant with a March 2027 deadline and expected Octopus's initial installation estimate of £2,200 to rise to roughly £3,000 after a survey.
One commenter offered reassurance based on their experience heating a home with uninsulated solid walls: "I run mine in a house with uninsulated solid walls, and bills are slightly lower than they were with gas. House is kept warm all winter," they said.
According to the homeowner, the property included an extension and a combination of cavity and non-cavity walls.
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More background
The homeowner with solid walls paid £4,000 for the heat pump installation after the grant. They put their annual savings over mains gas at £200-£300. Avoiding another 20 years of fossil fuel use was that commenter's goal.
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Another commenter said about £6,400 would be due after the grant for their preferred installation. Another commenter shared that they only needed £1,000 in additional work to get a gas-free home after making the switch.
An October average of about 10 kilowatt-hours a day covered heating and hot water for one user's 7-kilowatt heat pump.
What can be done?
Several commenters suggested a heat-loss survey as the next step to assess the property's suitability for a heat pump. One commenter said Octopus Energy would refund the £250 survey fee if the homeowner decided not to proceed.
For homeowners not ready to spend up front, Palmetto's Comfort Plan includes $0-down options that can lower heating and cooling costs by up to 50%. Palmetto Comfort Plans also include 12 years of free maintenance.
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For one commenter whose costs were comparable to mains gas, the biggest benefit was a more comfortable home.
"Compared to normal gas, all estimates out my running costs at the same as, or slightly below a boiler. But, and it's a big but, the difference is my house is warm all the time not just the couple of hours a day I put it on because of how much has cost. The house has never dropped below 18 (my night temp) since it was installed. I no longer get a blanket out because I'm freezing. My feet aren't always cold. For the same price as my gas bill, but with such a huge quality of life improvement? Absolutely."
Where can I learn more?
Other UK homeowners have faced similar questions about keeping older homes warm with heat pumps and what it would cost. These stories cover grants, historic-home installations, efficiency results, and comparisons with gas and oil heating.
• In Scotland, a homeowner weighs a £7,500 heat pump grant against potentially limited bill savings.
• In the UK, owners of 500-year-old homes stayed warm with heat pumps costing less than oil.
• In Stockport, an 1872 home swapped gas for a heat pump without replacing every floor.
• A UK homeowner's 1760 solid-wall home logged 520% heat pump efficiency after switching from oil.
• A UK homeowner says the latest price cap makes heat pumps cheaper than gas.
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