Hybrid vs all-electric heat pump
5 min read below · SolarFast comparisons
Hybrid or all-electric heat pump: how insulation drives the choice, what you save on gas, and how the heating test shows if your home is ready.
A hybrid heat pump works alongside your boiler and also fits modestly insulated homes. An all-electric heat pump replaces gas entirely but needs reasonable to good insulation and a suitable heat delivery system. Your home's insulation drives the choice.
Get started
Heat pump
View and request a quoteShare this article
The question is rarely whether a heat pump suits you, but which one: a unit that works with your boiler, or one that replaces it entirely. Below we compare both routes on insulation requirements, gas savings, hot water and day-to-day practice. What insulation has to do with heat pumps is explained in our guide on insulation and heat pumps.
The options side by side
Hybrid heat pump
Pros
- Lower entry cost and easier to fit
- Works in modestly insulated homes too
- The boiler covers the coldest days
- Can join grid control schemes
Cons
- You keep running partly on gas
- Less long-term saving than going electric
- Two systems side by side
All-electric heat pump
Pros
- Off gas entirely
- Largest long-term saving
- Can often cool in summer too
Cons
- Needs reasonable to good insulation and low-temperature delivery
- Higher upfront investment
- Sometimes radiators need adjusting or a hot water tank added
Insulation drives the choice
The rule of thumb is simple. If your home is modestly insulated, a hybrid heat pump is the logical first step: the heat pump does most of the work, the boiler helps out on cold days. If your home is reasonably to well insulated, you can go all-electric right away. According to Milieu Centraal (Dutch) that applies, for example, to homes built in or after 1992 with HR++ glazing, or older homes that have since been insulated well.
A hybrid heat pump saves roughly 60 to 70 percent of the gas used for heating. That is not the end of the road: keep insulating step by step and you can still go off gas later. Which insulation steps pay off most is covered in our guide on insulation for heat pumps.
Gas, hot water and subsidy side by side
Beyond the insulation requirement, the two routes differ in what happens to your gas connection, your hot water and your investment. For both you can apply for the Dutch ISDE subsidy via RVO. We put the differences side by side; we deliberately leave out prices, your quote carries current figures.
| Hybrid | All-electric | |
|---|---|---|
| Gas use for heating | Roughly 60-70% less | Zero, fully gas-free |
| Hot tap water | Via the boiler | Via the heat pump with a storage tank |
| Insulation requirement | Works with modest insulation | Reasonable to good insulation |
| Cooling in summer | Usually not | Often yes |
| Subsidy | ISDE available | ISDE available |
| Grid control | Can take part | Outside the current scheme |
Hybrid gas savings per Milieu Centraal (Dutch); subsidy terms via RVO (ISDE) (Dutch).
Do the heating test first
Not sure whether your home is ready for all-electric? Test it during the heating season. Set your boiler's supply temperature to about 50 degrees and see whether the house stays comfortably warm, even after a cold night. If it does, your radiators or underfloor heating can handle the lower temperatures a heat pump runs on.
If it does not get properly warm, that is not a verdict against the heat pump, but a signal: insulate first or upgrade radiators, or start with a hybrid. How to run the test and what to improve is on our page about insulation and heat pumps.
Grid control and going off gas later
One difference is often overlooked: grid control. In the schemes grid operators use to soften evening peaks, hybrid heat pumps can take part. The unit briefly heats on gas while the grid is relieved; your home simply stays warm. Fully electric heat pumps fall outside the current scheme. How it works and what it pays is on our page about grid control.
Want to end up all-electric but your home is not ready yet? There is an in-between: a higher-powered hybrid, also called all-electric-ready. After upgrading your insulation you convert it to fully electric, without buying a whole new unit.
At SolarFast the site survey covers your insulation, heat delivery, fuse box and hot water use. From that follows honest advice: hybrid, all-electric or insulate first. Put your situation to us and we will calculate both routes.
Verdict
Well-insulated home with underfloor heating or generous radiators? All-electric is often the best choice: fully off gas and the largest long-term saving. Modest insulation or improving step by step? A hybrid is a sensible interim step that saves roughly 60 to 70 percent of heating gas right away, and of the two it is the only one that can join grid control. We look at your home and advise what fits.
Related articles
Insulation for a heat pump: what do you need?
Is your home insulated well enough for a heat pump? Run the 50-degree heating test, see which insulation pays off first and choose hybrid or all-electric.
Underfloor heating and heat pumps: ideal match?
Why underfloor heating and a heat pump work so well together, when radiators are enough and what fitting it in an existing floor involves.
How much power does a heat pump use?
A heat pump's power use depends on your heat demand and the SCOP. How to run the numbers yourself, and what pushes consumption up or down in practice.
Smart grid control
Grid control and net-aware charging: how your supplier steers your charger, home battery or heat pump, what you notice and whether you get paid.
Heat pump vs gas boiler
Heat pump or gas boiler: the difference in efficiency, cost and comfort, and when a boiler is (still) the logical choice. An honest per-home trade-off.
Air-to-air vs air-to-water heat pump
Air-to-air (AC unit) or air-to-water heat pump? The differences in hot water, cooling and subsidy, and when each system fits. Honest advice from practice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between hybrid and all-electric?
A hybrid heat pump works alongside your boiler and runs partly on gas; the boiler also delivers your hot water. An all-electric heat pump heats and delivers hot water without gas, but needs reasonable to good insulation.
Do I need to insulate first for an all-electric heat pump?
Usually yes. All-electric works best at a low supply temperature, so in a reasonably to well insulated home with suitable heat delivery. The heating test (boiler at 50 degrees) shows whether your home is ready.
Do I save more going off gas?
Over the long term often yes, because you are off gas entirely and stop paying the gas standing charge once the connection is removed. The investment is higher, though, and your home must be ready for it.
Can a hybrid heat pump join grid control?
Yes. In the current grid control schemes, hybrid heat pumps can briefly heat on gas during peak moments to relieve the power grid. Fully electric heat pumps currently fall outside the scheme.
Can I switch from hybrid to all-electric later?
Yes. Pick an all-electric-ready hybrid: a higher-powered unit that can run fully electric after you improve your insulation, extended with a hot water storage tank.
Is there a subsidy for heat pumps?
The Dutch ISDE subsidy is available for both hybrid and all-electric heat pumps. Current terms and amounts are published by RVO; we point them out in your quote.
Need help choosing?
We help you make the right choice for your home and energy use.