In a study by the European Consumer Organization, researchers found heat pumps can help cut heating bills by a quarter compared with the cost of conventional gas boilers. The study also revealed that hydrogen-fueled boilers “will never be a cost-effective option”.
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The European Consumer Organization advised the European Union and its member states to prioritize the rollout of heat pumps and avoid setting a target for blending hydrogen into existing gas networks, because of the steep costs for consumers.
Heat pumps can cost anywhere from £4,000 to £15,000 to purchase and install – which is significantly more than the £1,000 average cost of a gas boiler.
But a hydrogen boiler is at least three times as costly to run than a heat pump, according to Bloomberg.
The average annual running cost for a heat pump stands at £743, compared to £2,784 for a hydrogen boiler.
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Monique Goyens, director general at the European Consumer Organisation, said: “Electrification, whether by a heat pump or district heating in cities, combined with energy efficiency improvements, will be much cheaper and convenient than hydrogen.
She said it is “vital that consumers aren’t pushed into investing in expensive experiments, like hydrogen”.
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Traditional gas boilers will be banned from being installed in newly-built houses by 2025.
The gas boiler ban will only apply to new-builds because good insulation is needed to make sure heat is retained.
There are no plans to phase out gas boilers in existing homes and Boiler Guide state that a full ban on gas boiler installations in existing homes is not likely to come into effect until much closer to 2050.
Campaign groups like Insulate Britain have urged the government to insulate all social housing in Britain by 2025 and fit all UK homes with insulation by 2030, but the Prime Minister has not yet responded to their demands.
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