Hybrid or all-electric: which heat pump suits your home?
The hybrid works alongside your boiler, the all-electric replaces it entirely. The honest trade-off — no sales talk.
A hybrid heat pump hangs next to your existing boiler: the heat pump provides most of the year's heating, while the boiler assists on cold days and keeps handling hot water. Because the boiler remains as a backstop, the hybrid demands little of insulation and radiators. Expect € 4,000 to € 7,000 including installation.
A full (all-electric) heat pump replaces the boiler entirely: heating and hot water come from the outdoor air, and the gas connection can go. In return the home must be able to carry it: good insulation and a low-temperature heat-emission system, such as underfloor heating or generously sized radiators. At € 8,000 to € 18,000 the investment is considerably higher.
The honest rule of thumb: if your home is well insulated (energy label A or B, or recent new-build), all-electric is worth considering. If insulation is mediocre, the hybrid is the sensible route — in a leaky house an all-electric system has to work so hard that comfort and power consumption disappoint. Insulating now and switching later remains possible; the other way round, a prematurely chosen all-electric is an expensive disappointment.
In doubt? Don't let the choice rest on gut feeling: a heat-loss survey shows per room what your home loses and which capacity fits. Then set the quotes against the price index and compare on net price including ISDE subsidy.
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