A heat pump in a Bradford terrace costs around £800 to £1,130 a year to run at October to December 2026 electricity prices, for a 2 to 3 bedroom terrace needing 8,500 to 12,000 kWh of heat a year at the efficiency real UK homes achieve. Winter is much dearer than summer: December to February is close to half the yearly total, while June to August is only about a tenth. The exact figure depends on the heat the house loses, the efficiency, and what you pay per unit of electricity.
Find your situation first
- Yearly cost: go to what it costs in a Bradford terrace.
- Comparing with gas: go to heat pump versus gas boiler.
- Bills higher than the installer estimated: go to what pushes the bill up or down, then safe checks, in order.
- Cheapest way to run yours: go to keeping the cost down.
- Install cost and the grant: go to what else it costs.
How the running cost is worked out
One formula sits behind every figure in this guide:
Running cost = (heat your home needs in kWh ÷ heat pump efficiency) × your electricity price per kWh
Heat needed is how much heat your home uses in a year. Efficiency is how many units of heat the heat pump makes from one unit of electricity: the Energy Saving Trust explains it can give three to four times as much heat as the electricity it uses, because it moves heat from the air. What matters is the seasonal figure, the SCOP on the datasheet or the SPF in a real home. Price per kWh is the unit rate on your tariff. This guide uses the Ofgem price cap for October to December 2026: 26.32p per kWh for electricity and 7.97p per kWh for gas.
Real homes do not hit the datasheet figure: a project monitoring 742 heat pumps in British homes found a median of 2.80, falling to 2.44 on the coldest days. That is why the examples below use 2.8. At 26.32p per kWh, one kWh of heat costs:
| Heating system | Efficiency | Cost per kWh of heat |
|---|---|---|
| Heat pump | 2.8 (median in real UK homes) | 9.4p |
| Heat pump | 3.0 | 8.8p |
| Heat pump | 3.5 | 7.5p |
| Gas boiler (gas at 7.97p per kWh) | 90% | 8.9p |
At 3.0 efficiency, heat from a heat pump costs about the same as heat from a modern gas boiler.
What it costs in a Bradford terrace
Terraces lose heat faster than modern semis: solid brick walls, draughty doors and long, thin layouts. A mid-terrace loses heat through only a front and a back wall, so it needs less than an end-terrace. The examples use the formula above, at the October to December 2026 capped rate of 26.32p per kWh, leaving out the standing charge. They are illustrations, not a price for your home.
| Your terrace | Heat needed per year | Electricity used per year | Running cost per year | About per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smaller 2 bedroom mid-terrace, reasonably draught-proofed | 8,500 kWh | 3,036 kWh | £799 | £67 |
| 3 bedroom mid-terrace or smaller end-terrace | 10,000 kWh | 3,571 kWh | £940 | £78 |
| Larger 3 bedroom end-terrace, solid walls, little insulation | 12,000 kWh | 4,286 kWh | £1,128 | £94 |
| Same larger terrace, but the system only manages 2.5 efficiency | 12,000 kWh | 4,800 kWh | £1,263 | £105 |
| Same larger terrace, running well at 3.5 efficiency | 12,000 kWh | 3,429 kWh | £902 | £75 |
For the same house, a poorly set-up system costs over £350 a year more than a well set-up one.
What it costs through the year
Most of the year’s cost falls between November and March; in summer the heat pump mostly just heats hot water. For the 3 bedroom mid-terrace above, at £940 a year, the split looks roughly like this:
| Season | Months | Share of the yearly cost | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | December to February | About 46% | About £430 |
| Late autumn and early spring | November, March, April | About 30% | About £280 |
| Late spring and early autumn | May, September, October | About 16% | About £150 |
| Summer | June to August | About 8% | About £75 |
These are approximate shares. A high January bill does not mean a fault: January is the dearest month, over £120, while July can be under £20.
Heat pump versus gas boiler
Take the larger 3 bedroom terrace above, needing 12,000 kWh of heat a year: a 90% efficient gas boiler needs 13,333 kWh of gas to deliver it.
| Option | Yearly energy cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gas boiler, 90% efficient | £1,063 for gas, plus about £108 gas standing charge | Total about £1,171 a year |
| Heat pump at 2.8 efficiency, standard capped rate | £1,128 for electricity | No gas standing charge if gas is capped off |
| Heat pump at 2.8 efficiency, heat pump tariff averaging 20p per kWh | £857 for electricity | Depends on use in the cheaper periods |
On the standard rate the two are close, and the heat pump costs a little less if the gas supply is capped off. On a heat pump tariff with cheaper overnight periods, it pulls clearly ahead. Keep gas for a hob and the charge stays. An old 75% efficient boiler would need 16,000 kWh of gas for the same heat, about £1,275.
What pushes the bill up or down
Two homes with the same heat pump can have very different bills. Find your situation first.
| What pushes the cost up | What you will notice | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| High heat loss: solid walls, draughts, thin loft insulation | Long hours, house still cool | Draught-proofing and loft insulation first |
| High flow temperature: small radiators needing very hot water | Rooms only warm with very hot water | Larger radiators or underfloor heating |
| Backup immersion heater running too often | Bills jump sharply | Check the timer; if it keeps cutting in, call an engineer |
| Switching the system off and on | Cold house every morning, costly to reheat | Let it run steadily at a lower temperature |
| Blocked or iced outdoor unit | Steam or ice on the unit, poor heating | Keep leaves clear; never chip ice off or pour hot water over it |
| Controls set wrong: weather compensation off | The system runs hotter than needed | Weather compensation on; an engineer sets it up |
The most expensive fault is the immersion heater: it turns 1 kWh of electricity into only 1 kWh of heat, about three times the cost of the heat pump. If your bills are far above the estimate, check that first.
Safe checks, in order
Work through these in order. They are checks on settings and the area around the unit, not repairs. Never open the heat pump casing or any electrical cover, never open a boiler casing, and gas work is for a Gas Safe registered engineer only. Smell gas? Leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.
- Read your thermostat and timer. Most UK homes are comfortable at 18 to 21°C; 23°C or higher makes the heat pump work much harder.
- Check whether weather compensation is on. It lowers the water temperature on milder days; if it is off, the system runs at full temperature all year.
- Look at the flow temperature. A heat pump works best at around 35 to 55°C, much cooler than a boiler’s 70 to 80°C.
- Check the radiators: warm all over, not hot at the top and cold at the bottom.
- Look at the outdoor unit, from the outside only. Clear away leaves and snow; if it is iced up, do not chip the ice off or pour hot water over it.
- Check the hot water settings. Heating water several times a day to a very high temperature adds cost. Once or twice a day is usually enough.
- Look for the immersion heater light or switch. If it is on most of the time, or someone left it on as a boost, the bills will show it.
- Compare your bill with the worked examples above. From old gas use, multiply your yearly gas use by your boiler’s efficiency (around 0.9). If your real bill is far above the worked figure, stop and call an engineer.
When to stop and call
Call an engineer if any of these apply:
- Your bills are far above the installer’s estimate, and the checks above have not explained why.
- The immersion heater runs most of the time, or the heat pump hardly runs at all.
- One room stays cold while the rest is warm, even after bleeding the radiators.
- The outdoor unit is iced up for hours, makes a new loud noise, or leaks indoors.
- Your electricity use jumps suddenly with no change in the weather or routine.
- You want to change radiators, flow temperatures or controls and are not sure what the system needs.
For a visit, book air source heat pump service in Bradford and say what the installer estimated, what you are paying, and if the immersion heater is cutting in. Or call Plumber Bradford Pros on 01274 041977.
What else it costs
Running costs are only part of the picture: there is also the install cost, the grant, and the yearly service.
For installation, a typical air-to-water heat pump costs around £15,000 for supply and installation on average, before any grant, according to Checkatrade’s air source heat pump cost guide, last updated May 2026. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7,500 towards one in England and Wales, and until March 2027 an extra £1,500, taking it to £9,000, for homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas connection. Your installer must be MCS certified and applies through Ofgem on your behalf. Our guide to air source heat pump costs and the £7,500 grant works through the figures, and the full rules are on GOV.UK’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme page.
For servicing, Checkatrade’s guide puts an annual service at £150 to £300 a year, as a UK guide average, recommended every year. Skipping it can cost far more: a system that drifts out of tune loses efficiency a little at a time. The Energy Saving Trust’s heat pump guide explains how the systems work and why the controls matter as much as the unit.
Why this matters more in Bradford terraces
Bradford has street after street of Victorian and Edwardian terraces, not all the same to heat. A mid-terrace loses heat through only two walls, so it is the cheapest to run; an end-terrace loses heat through three and usually costs more. Back-to-backs are smaller and can be cheaper still, but often have less space for the outdoor unit and the cylinder.
Space is the practical limit in many terraces. The outdoor unit is about the size of two wheelie bins side by side, needs clear air and a firm base, and small yards and shared passages can make the position awkward. In a conservation area or a listed building there may be extra rules, so check with Bradford Council first. You also need space for a hot water cylinder inside, and larger radiators may be needed. Our central heating service in Bradford covers radiator sizing and balancing for lower temperatures.
If you rent, a heat pump is the landlord’s decision, not the tenant’s.
Keeping the cost down
- Let it run steadily. A heat pump is cheapest running long periods at a low temperature, not in short hot bursts.
- Use weather compensation. It drops the flow temperature on mild days by itself.
- Heat water at cheap times. On a time-of-use tariff, heat the cylinder in the cheaper window and let it hold the heat.
- Fix the heat loss first. Draught-proofing and loft insulation cut the heat the pump must make.
- Keep the outdoor unit clear and serviced yearly. Leaves, clutter and a missed service eat into efficiency slowly.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a heat pump cost to run per month in the UK? For a home needing 8,500 kWh of heat a year, about £67 a month at October to December 2026 capped prices. January can be over £120; July can be under £20.
Is a heat pump cheaper to run than a gas boiler? On a standard tariff they are close: about £1,128 a year for a 3 bedroom terrace, against about £1,171 for gas once the standing charge is counted. On a 20p tariff, the heat pump costs about £857.
What is a good efficiency figure for a heat pump? The datasheet SCOP may be 3.5 or higher, but your bill is set by the seasonal efficiency in your home: monitored UK homes averaged 2.80, falling to 2.44 on the coldest days.
Why is my heat pump bill so high in winter? Winter is when the house needs most heat and the heat pump is least efficient, and December to February is close to half the yearly total. If the immersion heater runs most of the time, check it first.
Does a heat pump tariff really save money? It can, if enough use falls in the cheaper periods: 20p per kWh on average instead of 26.32p cuts the worked yearly bill from £1,128 to £857.
Plumber Bradford Pros, 164 Dyson Street, Bradford BD9 4DE. Call 01274 041977 if your heat pump costs more to run than the installer estimated and the checks above have not explained why.
