Heat pumps, typically installed to heat homes, can also provide cooling during heatwaves by reversing their operation and moving heat out of indoor spaces. Owners including Andrew and Sue Ingram in Berkshire say the technology has made their home far more comfortable in very hot weather, highlighting a potentially important adaptation as UK temperatures rise.

The Ingrams’ air-to-water heat pump cools their living room through a fan coil unit, reportedly reducing temperatures from 35C outside to about 21C indoors; their £18,600 energy-system installation included roughly £1,700 for cooling. Government support in England and Wales offers heat-pump grants of £7,500, rising to £9,000 for eligible off-grid households, and planning rules have been changed so cooling-capable heat pumps can use permitted development rights.