Posts tagged #running-costs

Fixed vs variable tariffs for heat pump owners: which gives a lower bill in 2026?

Most fixed vs variable comparisons assume a typical household with flat usage. Heat pump owners are not typical — they use two to three times more electricity than average, most of it in winter, and a significant share is shiftable to off-peak windows. That changes the calculation considerably. A flat fixed rate competes not with the standard cap, but with the effective blended rate you'd actually achieve on a time-of-use tariff.

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.