They are touted as the silver bullet that will wean Britain’s homes off gas, amid an energy crisis that has caused household energy bills to spiral.
But early adopters of heat pumps face huge costs to maintain the new devices, which the Government hopes will eventually replace gas boilers, it has emerged.
Conservative estimates for heat pump maintenance put the cost at roughly double that of traditional boilers, with some households paying far more.
The sale of new boilers will be banned from 2030, with consumers encouraged to opt for more eco-friendly heat pumps instead. As with gas boilers, heat pumps require annual servicing and repairs when the technology breaks.
The average boiler service costs £75, according to Checkatrade, a comparison site. But consumer publication The Eco Experts estimates a standard heat pump service costs twice this amount, coming in at around £150.
This is because more complex heat pump systems take twice as long to service compared to gas boilers, according to the Energy Utilities Alliance trade body.
Mike Foster, of the EUA, said: “We believe all heating appliances should be serviced annually, whether that is a gas boiler or a heat pump.
“Costs for an annual heat pump service vary, as it is a competitive market amongst installers. We believe that figure is upwards of £150 per service and have seen many higher quotes than that.”