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The European Heat Pump Association says residential heat pump sales across 12 European countries rose 11% in the first half of 2026, to about 1.163 million units. The association linked the increase to higher oil and gas prices and European Commission plans on electricity taxes and network charges. The figures cover only the countries in its sample, and the material does not establish how much each factor contributed.
The European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) reported that residential heat pump sales in 12 European countries rose 11% in the first half of 2026, reaching about 1.163 million units. The increase matters for household heating choices and the region’s shift away from fossil fuels, though the figures cover a defined country sample rather than all of Europe.
The EHPA’s reported total compares with 1.048 million units sold in the first half of 2025. The 12-country sample comprises Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland and France, as well as Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden. The association described the figures as residential sales; the source material does not provide a country-by-country breakdown or explain how the estimates were compiled.
The EHPA attributed the increase partly to higher oil and gas prices after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. It also pointed to the European Commission’s plans encouraging EU governments to reduce electricity taxation. Those are the association’s explanations for the sales change; the figures supplied do not quantify the contribution of either energy prices or tax policy.
In its Electrification Action Plan, the Commission said electricity tax should be no higher than tax on gas. It also proposed revising network charges on power bills to reward flexible options, including heat pumps. These are policy proposals described in the source, not evidence that every EU country has changed its rules or that the proposals caused purchases during the reporting period.
Prices and Power Bills Shape Demand
The reported rise offers a snapshot of consumer demand for an electric alternative to fossil-fuel heating. Heat pumps use electricity to move heat, and their running costs depend partly on the price of electricity relative to gas or oil. The EHPA’s focus on energy prices and electricity taxes reflects this relationship: a household comparing heating systems may weigh the cost of the unit, installation and ongoing energy use.
The policy issue extends beyond the purchase decision. The Commission’s proposals address electricity taxes and network charges, which affect the bill after installation. If governments adopt changes that narrow the cost gap between electricity and gas, that could affect the economics of heat pump ownership. The source does not estimate the size of any household savings or establish that proposed changes will be adopted.
The sales increase is also relevant to manufacturers, installers and energy planners because it indicates a larger market in the countries surveyed. Yet one half-year comparison cannot show whether demand will keep rising, whether sales have returned to earlier peaks, or how much of the increase reflects temporary price pressures. The figures indicate movement in the market, while leaving its durability open.
A Twelve-Country Market Snapshot
The EHPA’s figures cover the first six months of 2026 and compare them with the same period a year earlier. The report lists 12 countries, including Switzerland and Norway, which are not EU member states. The sample therefore should not be read as a tally of EU sales alone, or as a complete total for the continent.
The European Commission’s Electrification Action Plan provides a separate policy context. According to the source material, it calls for electricity tax not to exceed gas tax and proposes changes to network charges that would reward flexible options such as heat pumps. The plan sets out a policy direction; national governments would need to take action for changes to household bills to follow.
EHPA director general Paul Kenny called for governments to act on electricity taxation, pointing to the Netherlands and Belgium as examples. His remarks express the association’s position on how to speed electrification. They do not establish that the two countries’ policies caused the reported increase, nor do they describe the full range of factors behind sales in each market.
“The sooner electricity becomes the most affordable solution, the quicker we’ll get clean.”
— Paul Kenny, director general of the European Heat Pump Association
Limits of the Sales Figures
The reported 11% increase is based on the 12 countries listed by the EHPA. The supplied material does not give methods, underlying national data, sales by country, or a breakdown by heat pump type. It also does not say whether the figures count orders, shipments or completed household installations, so the total should be understood as the association’s reported sales figure.
The EHPA identifies higher oil and gas prices and proposed electricity-tax changes as reasons for the increase, but no comparison isolates their effects. The source does not provide evidence that households bought heat pumps specifically because of the Strait of Hormuz closure or anticipated tax changes. It remains unclear how demand changed in individual countries and whether the rise continued after June.
The timing and implementation of the Commission’s proposed tax and network-charge measures are also not specified. The source does not report which governments have adopted changes, what they would mean for typical bills, or whether households would see lower overall heating costs after installation. Those details matter to consumers weighing a major equipment purchase.
Government Decisions and Later Sales
The next policy milestone is whether EU governments act on the Commission’s proposals for electricity taxation and network charges. The source material does not provide an implementation timetable or identify a decision date. It also does not say whether the Netherlands and Belgium have taken the specific steps Kenny urged other governments to follow.
Further sales reporting can show whether the first-half increase persisted through the rest of 2026. Country-level figures and clear information about how sales are counted would help readers distinguish broad regional growth from changes concentrated in a few markets. For now, the available report establishes an increase across the EHPA’s 12-country sample, while the causes, policy effects and trajectory beyond June remain unsettled.
Key Questions
How many heat pumps were sold in the countries counted?
The EHPA reported about 1.163 million residential heat pump sales across 12 European countries in the first half of 2026, compared with 1.048 million in the same period of 2025.
Does the 11% increase cover all of Europe?
No. The reported comparison covers 12 named countries. The source does not present it as a complete tally for Europe, and the sample includes Switzerland and Norway as well as EU countries.
What does the EHPA say drove the increase?
The association pointed to higher oil and gas prices following the Strait of Hormuz closure and to European Commission proposals on electricity taxes. The supplied figures do not measure how much either factor contributed.
Have the Commission’s proposed bill changes taken effect?
The source describes proposals in the Commission’s Electrification Action Plan, including electricity tax no higher than gas tax and revised network charges. It does not say that all EU governments have adopted them or provide an implementation schedule.
Source: rss
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