Our Solutions
A CHUP Guide to Choosing the Right Renewable Heating for Your Home
The Community Heating Upgrade Programme (CHUP) is designed to help households move to cleaner, more affordable heating — but every home is different, and the right solution depends on how your property is built and how it holds heat. This guide explains the two main renewable options supported through CHUP and helps you understand which one may suit your home best.
Biomass Boilers vs Heat Pumps: A Practical Comparison for UK Homes
Choosing the right renewable heating system depends heavily on the type of property, insulation levels, and heating requirements. Biomass pellet boilers and heat pumps are both low‑carbon technologies, but they perform very differently in the real‑world conditions of typical UK housing. This guide explains how each system works, how they compare, and which homes benefit most from each solution.
Biomass Pellet Boilers
(Typical Efficiency 85–95%, COP ≈ 1.0)
How They Work
Biomass boilers burn wood pellets to generate heat directly. Unlike heat pumps, they do not amplify energy input; instead, they convert the energy stored in pellets into heat with high combustion efficiency.
Performance in UK Homes
- High‑temperature output (60–80°C): Ideal for standard UK radiators.
- Low sensitivity to insulation: Performance remains stable even in poorly insulated homes.
- Seamless integration: Works with existing heating systems without the need for radiator upgrades or underfloor heating.
Why COP ≈ 1.0?
Because biomass boilers burn fuel, their effective COP is close to 1:
1 kWh of pellet energy ≈ 1 kWh of heat delivered.
Their advantage lies in renewable fuel, stable performance, and compatibility with older housing stock.
Heat Pumps
(COP 2.0–4.0, Climate & Property Dependent)
How They Work
Heat pumps extract heat from the air, ground, or water and concentrate it indoors. Their COP (Coefficient of Performance) measures how many units of heat they deliver per unit of electricity consumed.
Typical UK COP Values
- Well‑insulated homes with underfloor heating: COP 3.0–4.0
- Poorly insulated homes with radiators: COP often drops to 2.0–2.5
- Cold snaps: COP can fall further, especially in northern regions
Key Limitations in Older UK Homes
- Radiator mismatch: Heat pumps work best at 35–45°C, but traditional radiators require 60–70°C.
- Insulation dependency: Poor insulation significantly reduces efficiency and increases running costs.
- Climate sensitivity: Performance fluctuates with outdoor temperature.