Research by Bellway and the University of Salford has shown that air source heat pumps (ASHPs) can work four times as efficiently as gas boilers in new homes.
The findings could inform how the housebuilding industry adapts to the Future Homes Standard.
Bellway built a full-size three-bedroom house to Future Homes Standards inside the university’s Energy House 2.0 climate chamber.
It simulates conditions ranging from a Nordic winter to an African summer.
Academics conducted tests to see how low-carbon heating systems would perform in a range of climate conditions.
The results show that ASHPs can produce more than four times the amount of heat from one unit of energy compared with a typical gas boiler.
The heating costs for the ASHP used in the testing were as little as £1.19 a day.
Householders accustomed to switching on the heat when they’re chilly will have to change their behaviour, though.
The research shows that the most efficient way to use a heat pump is to keep it running at a low temperature all day, then turn it up for a period in the morning and the evening, or during periods of extreme cold.
Main findings
At typical winter temperatures of 5ºC, an ASHP used in combination with underfloor heating downstairs and radiators upstairs will produce 4.71 units of heat for every unit of energy used.
Heating costs in these conditions were between £1.19 and £1.84 a day, based on Ofgem’s energy price cap from 1 July to 30 September 2025 of 25.73 p/kWh.
Constant low heat, supported by increased heating for a period in the morning and evening, is the most efficient in these conditions.
Even at more extreme winter temperatures of -5ºC, an ASHP will produce 2.98 units of heat per unit of energy used.
In these conditions, ASHPs work most effectively when they run at a constant comfortable heat level (18-21ºC).
‘Most significant change’
The government announced in March that the Future Homes Standard will come into effect from 2027, meaning that new homes built from then will require heat pumps or heat networks, rather than gas boilers.
Jamie Bursnell, Bellway’s head of technical and innovation, said it was “the most significant change for the industry”.
“The research shows that new build homes can provide low-carbon, low-running-cost heating without the need to pay for expensive retrofitting of secondhand homes, which can run into tens of thousands of pounds.
“This means new homes built to Future Home Standards will have a vital role to play in reducing the UK’s carbon footprint as the grid moves to net zero.”
He said Bellway had already begun installing ASHPs to this optimum specification.
Bellway’s Future Home project was officially launched in 2023, with initial research showing that the fabric of the building was a very close match to guidance in the Future Homes Standard consultation.
Funding from the Innovation Accelerators programme led by Innovate UK made this most recent project possible.
