The UK has the fewest heat pumps in Europe, but the government hopes myth-dispelling can change that

The UK government has employed the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) to help change public opinion about heat pumps.

Known as the 'nudge unit', the UK-based company has been tasked with fighting misconceptions and myths surrounding the clean technology.

Common misinformation often shared by the media includes heat pumps not working in the cold and not being suitable for older buildings.

Last year, the government announced it was relaxing planning rules on protected buildings in England to allow the installation of heat pumps and solar panels.

The measures are part of wider efforts to reach net zero targets. The UK aims to install 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028.

Heat pumps are common features in houses in countries like Norway and Sweden but haven’t taken off yet in the UK.

Heat pumps are devices that take energy from the air, ground and water and transform it into heat or cool air.

They do this within the ‘refrigerant cycle’ - with its four phases of evaporation, compression, condensation and expansion.

This system is highly efficient; for every unit of energy that goes in, you get around three units of heat out.

Despite these virtues, heat pumps haven’t been widely adopted in the UK yet. One major stumbling block is the pervasive myth that heat pumps don’t work in cold climates.

Whereas the reality is that the four countries with the largest share of heat pumps - Norway (60 per cent of households), Sweden (43 per cent), Finland (41 per cent) and Estonia (34 per cent) - face some of the coldest winters in Europe.

A recent study found that even when temperatures approach -30C, heat pumps can still be more efficient than electric heating.

England’s relaxation of rules governing the installation of heat pumps, solar panels and