The European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) has released new figures showing a wide disparity in heat pump adoption across Europe, with Norway leading in both installations and sales per household. According to the report, Norway has 632 heat pumps installed per 1,000 households, followed by Finland with 524. In 2024, 48 heat pumps were sold per 1,000 households in Norway, and 33 in Finland – the highest levels in Europe.
In contrast, the UK recorded just 3.5 heat pumps sold per 1,000 households in 2024, making its per-household sales rate 14 times lower than Norway’s. The UK now has a stock of 19 heat pumps per 1,000 households. Despite the lower figures, the UK was one of only three European countries to register market growth in 2024, alongside Ireland and Portugal. This growth was attributed to a stable consumer support scheme.
In other countries, sales remained modest. The Czech Republic sold 4 heat pumps per 1,000 households in 2024, with a total stock of 70 per 1,000. Germany and Poland each recorded sales of 5 heat pumps per 1,000 households during the same period.
“Nearly every heat pump installed replaces a gas or oil boiler: lowering fossil fuel imports, strengthening the European competitiveness and energy security and cutting emissions,” said Paul Kenny, director general of EHPA. “More heat pumps is a win-win for Europe – and it must also be the smart choice for consumers. To get there, electricity prices must be made more competitive, good long-term support schemes put in place and installers trained up, so buying a heat pump is affordable and easy,” he added.
According to EHPA, if all 19 countries included in the market report had matched Norway’s 2024 sales rate, 10.2 million heat pumps would have been sold. The actual figure was 2.31 million, bringing the total stock across those countries to 25.5 million.
The report also notes that the heat pump market declined for the second consecutive year in 2024, with sales down 22% compared to 2023. EHPA points to upcoming EU measures, including the pollution tax on buildings and transport and the Social Climate Fund, as potential tools to make clean heating solutions more affordable.
Marta San Román, Director General at AFEC, stated: “No heat pumps, no cooling: health, productivity, IAQ and children’s ability to learn suffer. No heat pumps, no complete and timely energy transition. As simple as that.”
Olivia Smalley, Head of Policy and Communications at the UK Heat Pump Association, commented: “UK heat pump sales grew by 56% in 2024 which, together with the examples of successful deployment demonstrated in other countries, underscores the vast opportunity ahead.”