What is a heat pump COP? Why it matters for your tariff choice and running costs
A heat pump with a COP of 3.0 produces 3 kWh of heat for every 1 kWh of electricity it uses. At the April 2026 standard electricity rate of 24.7p/kWh, that’s an effective heat cost of 8.2p/kWh — cheaper than gas, but only just. On a heat pump tariff at 14.5p/kWh, the same system delivers heat at 4.8p/kWh — decisively ahead of gas at any plausible price. COP is the reason tariff choice matters so much for heat pump owners.
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Ashley