Sales of residential heat pumps rose across 12 European countries in the first half of the year, as higher oil and gas prices and lower electricity taxes in some countries made the systems more attractive. The increase adds momentum to the shift away from fossil-fuel heating, and the European Commission is urging EU governments to ensure electricity tax is no higher than gas tax.

The European Heat Pump Association counted 1.16 million sales, compared with 1.05 million in the same period last year. It linked stronger uptake to tax cuts and energy price rises following disruption to oil and gas shipments during the Iran war; it also said countries where electricity is taxed more heavily than gas tend to see slower adoption. In the UK, electricity costs more than four times as much as gas, while a separate study found that UK homes with solar panels and a battery saved an average of £681 a year.