Heat pump: costs and savings in 2026
By Laurens Arends · updated 05-10-2026
What does a heat pump cost in 2026?
The costs of a heat pump depend mainly on the type, the required capacity and the modifications in the home. A hybrid heat pump works together with your central heating boiler. A fully electric heat pump also heats the tap water and makes a gas connection unnecessary.
Milieu Centraal and Verbeterjehuis use the following representative amounts in 2026. The prices stated include VAT and installation. Do bear in mind that labour costs depend heavily on your home and pipework.
| Type of heat pump | Example capacity | Price including installation | ISDE amount heat pump | Net after ISDE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid with existing central heating boiler | 4 kW | € 6.200 | € 2.125 | € 4.075 |
| Hybrid with new central heating boiler | 4 kW | € 8.300 | € 2.125 | € 6.175 |
| Fully electric with outdoor unit | 8 kW | € 12.000 | € 3.025 | € 8.975 |
Milieu Centraal uses 4 kW as a worked example for a hybrid heat pump in a terraced house, end-of-terrace house or small semi-detached house. For a fully electric heat pump, the organisation uses an example capacity of 8 kW for these types of home. These are not general recommendations: the right capacity must come from a heat loss calculation. A heat pump that is too small delivers too little heat, while an appliance that is too large switches on and off more often and can therefore work less efficiently.
With fully electric heating, additional costs may also arise. Verbeterjehuis calculates indicatively with € 3.500 for installing or adapting low-temperature heating. If these modifications are needed, the net investment in the example rises from € 8.975 to around € 12.475. A heavier electricity connection, modified pipework or a different location for the storage tank can also increase the total price.
What do you save per year with a heat pump?
A heat pump lowers your gas consumption, but increases your electricity consumption. That is not automatically a disadvantage. That is due to the high efficiency of the heat pump. According to Milieu Centraal, a well-functioning heat pump makes about 3 to 5 kWh of heat with 1 kWh of electricity. The following worked example shows how much you can save with a heat pump.
For this we start from the 2026 price level and extend it to 2040. Note, though: these prices are not fixed. The payback period depends heavily on the ratio between the gas and electricity price. Because we will eventually have to stop using gas, it seems more likely that gas will also become more expensive in the long term. That is good news for those who invested in a heat pump.
Worked example hybrid heat pump
We start from the average energy consumption in a moderately insulated end-of-terrace house. There, according to Milieu Centraal, an HR boiler uses about 1.360 m³ of gas and 310 kWh of electricity a year. With a hybrid heat pump, gas consumption falls to 680 m³, while electricity consumption rises to 1.925 kWh. If we use the average prices of January 2026, namely € 1,35 per m³ of gas and € 0,27 per kWh of electricity, the saving becomes immediately visible:
| Heating | Energy costs |
|---|---|
| HR boiler | € 1.919,7 |
| Hybrid heat pump | € 1.437,75 |
| Saving | € 481,95 |
After € 2.125 ISDE, the net investment is around € 4.075. In other words, the payback period is about 8,5 years. Financing costs, maintenance and future price changes are not included in this. Verbeterjehuis uses a lifespan of about fifteen years for a heat pump.
With a constant annual saving, in this example you save 15 × € 481,95 = € 7.229,25 in energy costs over that period. After deducting the net investment, € 3.154,25 remains, on average about € 210 per year of use. The annual energy saving corresponds to a simple return of 11,8 per cent on the net investment, before maintenance and financing.
Worked example fully electric heat pump
For a fully electric heat pump, a well-insulated home is a realistic starting point. For a well-insulated end-of-terrace house with two occupants, Milieu Centraal calculates with 950 m³ of gas and 250 kWh of boiler electricity a year. In the same example, the fully electric heat pump uses 3.400 kWh of electricity. Because the central heating boiler and gas connection disappear completely, we also include the € 360 fixed gas costs. The actual amount differs per grid operator and supplier.
| Heating | Energy costs |
|---|---|
| HR boiler | € 1.350 |
| Fixed costs of gas connection | € 360 |
| Total costs with HR boiler | € 1.710 |
| Fully electric heat pump | € 918 |
| Saving | € 792 |
According to Milieu Centraal, a fully electric 8 kW heat pump costs about € 12.000 including installation and VAT. After € 3.025 ISDE, a net investment of € 8.975 remains. The simple payback period is € 8.975 ÷ € 792 = approximately 11,3 years. Over a lifespan of fifteen years you save 15 × € 792 = € 11.880. After deducting the investment, € 2.905 remains, on average about € 194 per year of use. The simple annual return on the net investment is 8,8 per cent.
This only applies if no major modifications to the home are needed. Verbeterjehuis calculates indicatively with € 3.500 for installing or adapting low-temperature heating. If the total net investment rises to € 12.475 as a result, the payback period increases to 15,8 years.
Over fifteen years, this then results in a shortfall of approximately € 595, even before maintenance and financing. When major home modifications are needed, switching to a fully electric heat pump may not pay for itself financially within the expected lifespan. If the difference between the gas and electricity price increases further, the payback period can become shorter.
Worked example air-to-air heat pump
An air-to-air heat pump is a fixed split air conditioner with which you can heat and cool. A single indoor unit usually only heats the living room or another large living space. The central heating boiler remains necessary for hot water, unheated rooms and possibly very cold days.
We therefore calculate with a concrete scenario in which the air-to-air heat pump supplies 3.000 kWh of heat a year. According to the conversion value of RVO 1 m³ of Dutch natural gas contains about 8,79 kWh of energy. For space heating, Verbeterjehuis calculates with about 90 per cent efficiency for an HR boiler.
For the air-to-air heat pump, we use a seasonal efficiency, or SCOP, of 4 as a calculation assumption. The actual SCOP depends on the appliance and the outside temperature. For 3.000 kWh of usable heat, the central heating boiler therefore needs about 3.000 ÷ (8,79 × 0,90) = 379 m³ of gas. An air-to-air heat pump with an average COP of 4 uses 3.000 ÷ 4 = 750 kWh of electricity for the same heat.
| Heating of the chosen room | Energy costs |
|---|---|
| HR boiler | € 511,65 |
| Air-to-air heat pump | € 202,50 |
| Saving | € 309,15 |
According to Milieu Centraal, an installed single-split air-to-air heat pump costs about € 2.500. You do not get national ISDE for this. In this scenario, the simple payback period is € 2.500 ÷ € 309,15 = approximately 8,1 years. According to Milieu Centraal, a split air conditioner lasts twelve to fifteen years on average. After deducting the purchase price, about € 1.210 to € 2.137 of net benefit remains over that lifespan.
That is on average approximately € 101 to € 142 per year of use. If you also use the appliance a lot for cooling in summer, electricity consumption rises and the financial benefit is lower. You do of course get extra living comfort in return. As summers become more extreme, that is attractive for many people.
Subsidy on the heat pump
When determining the payback period, you must also take the subsidy for the heat pump into account. For a new heat pump you can apply for ISDE in 2026. For a first air-to-water heat pump, according to RVO, the amount consists of a € 1.025 starting amount, € 225 per kW and possibly € 200 extra for energy label A+++. A first 4 kW heat pump with A+++ thus yields € 1.025 + 4 × € 225 + € 200 = € 2.125. At 8 kW that becomes € 3.025.
The exact amount is listed with the registration code of the chosen appliance. Check that code before you accept the quote. Since 2026 you no longer get ISDE for split air-to-water heat pumps with a refrigerant charge of less than 3 kilograms and a GWP higher than 750.
You first have the installation carried out entirely by a building or installation company. You then apply for the subsidy within 24 months using DigiD. The heat pump must be new and the home must date from before 1 January 2019, unless the environmental permit was applied for before 1 July 2018. If you combine the heat pump with insulation within 24 months, the ISDE amount for the insulation measure doubles. The heat pump subsidy itself does not double.
Who is a heat pump not yet suitable for?
A fully electric heat pump is only suitable for a home that is already at least reasonably well insulated. As a guideline, Milieu Centraal mentions 8 to 12 centimetres of roof and floor insulation, an insulated cavity wall and HR++ glass. The radiators or underfloor heating must also give off enough heat at a water temperature of about 45 to 55 degrees.
Test this during a cold period by setting the central heating water temperature to 50 degrees. If your house stays comfortably warm, the heat emission system is probably suitable for low temperatures. If not, you must first insulate or adapt radiators.
A hybrid heat pump can be suitable for use in a moderately insulated home. With very poor insulation, however, the central heating boiler often has to help out and the saving is lower. If your current boiler can last a few more years, it is advisable to first invest in insulation.
The return and payback period of insulation measures are in that case generally more favourable than those of a heat pump in a poorly insulated home. Also check the municipal heat plan. If, for example, the municipality expects a heat network in your neighbourhood within about five years, a new hybrid heat pump may be used for too short a time to recoup the investment.
Frequently asked questions about heat pump costs
The costs and potential savings of a heat pump depend heavily on your home. That naturally makes it difficult to find ready-made information. We use representative examples at 2026 price levels and therefore mainly make clear what order of magnitude you can expect. Below we answer a number of further questions about it.
Which heat pump investment yields the most?
A fully electric heat pump yields the highest annual saving in the example home. However, the hybrid heat pump requires a lower net investment and has the shortest simple payback period in our examples. The biggest saving and the highest return are therefore not automatically the same.
Where do I start?
Start with insulation and carry out the 50-degree test during cold weather. Then request a heat loss calculation and several complete quotes. Also check the RVO registration code before signing.
Are these amounts right for my situation?
The calculations apply to an end-of-terrace house with two people and the consumption profiles of Milieu Centraal. However, your actual saving depends on your type of home, insulation, energy contract, hot water consumption, desired indoor temperature and the way the installation is adjusted. So use your own annual consumption and have the required capacity calculated before you assess a quote.