Heat pumps: High gas prices encourage switch, obstacles to broader adoption persist

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Decarbonising the heating sector is a crucial step that European countries need to take to reduce their natural gas consumption and reduce the continent’s overall emissions. However, the sector risks being overlooked, as nations focus instead on the immediate goal of diversifying their gas supplies in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while some seek to boost their own fossil fuel production.

Against this backdrop, a stronger policy effort is needed to support the adoption of cleaner heating alternatives, such as heat pumps, industry experts tell Gas Matters. Driven by high gas prices, demand for heat pumps has increased this past year in Europe, but slow policy changes, high upfront costs and a possible shortage of technicians to install them are among the obstacles that could hold back their broader adoption.