Visit a heat pump is a service that enables people who are interested in getting a heat pump to see one working in real life. The service makes it possible to learn more about what it’s like to have heat pump, from people who know best.
Air source heat pumps provide efficient and reliable low-carbon home heating, but they're still uncommon in most of the UK. Most people in the UK have never seen a heat pump. For those considering one, it’s difficult to find out how it might work in their home.
Visiting a heat pump in real life and talking to people who live with one can be a highly valuable step for people who are considering switching to low-carbon heat.
The service is run by Nesta, the UK's innovation agency for social good. If you are considering one or want to learn more about them, we can connect you with owners and experts to visit a heat pump and ask any questions you may have.
Visit a heat pump is for anyone who’s interested in finding out more about heat pumps and for current heat pump owners who want to share their experience.
We want everyone in the UK to be able to visit a heat pump near them and get the support they need.
In 2022 we delivered a pilot service that enabled people to see a heat pump working in real homes and learn more about what it’s like to have one from current owners. We operated a live service with 45 visitors, allowing us to develop a viable service model, discover detailed needs of users and hosts and develop a set of insights and clear recommendations for the future development of the service. Find out more about the pilot project.
Our current phase of work seeks to take this service further and ensure that it can operate effectively at scale in different locations across the UK. Our team will be building upon the existing service and delivering it with a wider range of users in order to discover how well it works in multiple locations, how well it works for different users and how it can become sustainable in the longer term in collaboration with our partners.
Nesta's sustainable future mission is working to accelerate the decarbonisation of household activities in the UK and improve levels of productivity. Our goal is that, by 2030, the UK will have reduced household carbon emissions by 28% from 2019 levels, and will be on track to reach zero by 2048.
We're working in partnership with homeowners, local authorities, community energy groups, installers, manufacturers, consumer organisations and many others across the UK to deliver this service.
Please get in touch if you'd like to explore how you can contribute, or how we can make this work better for you.
Email us at: visitaheatpump@nesta.org.uk
