VisitAHeatPump.com allows would-be buyers to see heat pumps in action

• Nesta launches digital platform to show heat pumps in real-life settings

• Visitors can choose from up to 150 households 

• Project aims to increase awareness of the benefits of heat pumps

Consumers interested in buying a heat pump can now see how one works by visiting a household that has already had one installed as part of an initiative launched by innovation charity Nesta. 

VisitAHeatPump.com has 150 early adopter households that show would-be electrical heat pump buyers how they work in real homes. 

Nesta says the service is designed to make it simple and appealing for people to buy an electric pump by improving the “accessibility of information available to consumers”.

It also claims it wants to “shift social norms around heat pumps” to make people see how having one can cut carbon emissions. 

The service provides a digital platform which shows people where their nearest participating electric heat pump is, very similar to other popular apps. 

Katy King, director at Nesta, said she hoped that people would have more confidence in heat pumps and be more likely to buy one if they saw them in “real-life settings”.

“Changing the way we heat our homes is one of the most meaningful things we can do to cut carbon emissions,” King is quoted as saying. 

“Many homeowners are keen to make green improvements but don’t get the opportunity to see how low-carbon technologies, such as heat pumps, work in action.”

Martin Callanan, the minister for energy efficiency and green finance, was quoted in The Guardian saying the service will “help families work out whether a heat pump is right for them.”

Initially launched in 2022 as a limited pilot scheme with just 45 visitors, Nesta is aiming to see 1,000 people use the service. The charity says it will use the insights and feedback it receives to expand the service further. 

Heating is responsible for just over a third of the UK’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The government is planning to install at least 600,000 a year by 2028, but costs and concerns over the technology’s effectiveness have hampered this. 

In March 2024, the National Audit Office (NAO) published a report that found limited public awareness, high costs and a lack of long term financial support were to blame for the government missing its target. 

According to Nesta, as of April 2024 only 250,000 homes in the UK have heat pumps installed.