Careful design, competent installation, ongoing maintenance, and occupant education are all key to overcoming lingering acoustic concerns around heat pumps, writes BSRIA’s Rebecca Hogg
In 2024, the UK heat pump sector reached a new milestone, with nearly 110,000 units sold, representing a 48% increase on the previous year and the highest figure on record1.
Around half of these installations went into replacement projects, with retrofit applications continuing to grow steadily.
Adding to this, earlier this year, England made updates to the Permitted Development Rights (PDR) which involved scrapping the previous one-metre boundary rule, meaning that heat pumps can now be installed right up to property boundaries.
Coupled with a doubling of allowable unit sizes, from 0.6 to 1.5 cubic metres, the changes to PDRs remove previously restrictive barriers for new builds and retrofit projects alike, unlocking broader design opportunities.
This regulatory evolution is far more than a technical footnote. It represents a crucial step in mainstreaming heat pumps as the low-carbon heating technology for UK housing. But with greater freedom comes new challenges, among them acoustic concerns, which have quickly moved to the forefront of public and professional discourse.
Noise: The real and perceived barriers
Heat pump noise is a complex issue wrapped in myth, fear, and legitimate concerns.
Modern heat pumps can be quiet, and often noise issues are attributable to avoidable errors in system design, installation, or poor maintenance.
In recent years, increased awareness driven by national media coverage and heightened social media scrutiny has put heat pump noise in the spotlight. While this scrutiny underscores public interest in the technology, it also risks the rollout of heat pumps if we fail to address the issue head-on.
Designing with sound in mind
Heat pump system design is far from one-size-fits-all and the UK’s diverse housing stock requires that every project demands a bespoke solution. This means that any successful heat pump installation starts well before the unit is on site.
To ensure that a heat pump will work within a specific application, housing providers and designers should request full test reports from accredited testing laboratories. These are crucial to provide assurance that the heat pump specified will perform as intended because they detail how performance is measured, under what conditions, and confirm compliance with standards such as EN 14511 and EN 14825 for thermal performance and, crucially, EN 12102 or acoustic testing.
However, this evidence of acoustic performance is not enough as a standalone verification. It should form part of a holistic approach to acoustic design that considers the entire system, including the building fabric, unit location, and airflow to ensure quiet, effective heat pump operation.
Critically, proper sizing and selection of heat emitters, such as underfloor heating or panel radiators, is essential to ensure the heat pump operates efficiently that help to keep operational noise low. Poorly matched emitters, while not producing acoustic impact themselves, may cause the heat pump to work harder, potentially increasing noise from the outdoor unit. The correct placement of the heat pump can also mitigate potential noise nuisance.
But it doesn’t end there. Rigorous competency standards for installers form an essential pillar in managing noise. With the rapid market expansion, ensuring all installers are qualified, competent, and receive ongoing training in best practice around noise mitigation is non-negotiable. Because, ultimately, a heat pump system is only as quiet as the installation quality.
Educating the user: An often overlooked factor
Beyond standards and installation, the role of the resident or homeowner is pivotal.
In fact, research has shown that occupant behaviour alone can impact energy efficiency outcomes by as much as 300%2. This is largely because heat pumps operate differently to the gas boilers that they typically replace. Longer run cycles and variable output mean that occupants must adapt their heating behaviours, warming their homes more gradually and allowing systems time to run efficiently.
This means that comprehensive user education at handover and post-installation is fundamental to managing noise expectations and sustaining system performance. Explaining normal operational sounds and emphasising periodic maintenance can ease concerns and reduce complaints to housing providers, landlords and installers.
Moreover, equipping end-users with the information they need to play an active role in system care creates a virtuous cycle: Properly operated heat pumps remain quieter, more efficient, and deliver greater comfort with lower carbon footprints.
A quiet revolution with loud impact
Removing restrictive planning rules and enabling larger, better-equipped units is transforming the heat pump market landscape. These changes unlock retrofit possibilities that were previously impossible, particularly for terraced homes which make up around 30%3 of the UK’s housing stock.
However, technology deployment at scale depends on a collective commitment to competence, care, and communication. Housing providers, developers, designers, and installers must step up with evidence-led design principles and acoustic expertise. Policymakers must reinforce training and certification standards. And residents need clear, accessible guidance to understand how best to live with their new systems.
By embracing a holistic approach that balances regulatory freedom with technical rigour and user engagement, the UK can capitalise on the heat pump boom and deliver real progress on wider net zero ambitions.
This is no small task, but the potential is louder than ever, and the heat pump revolution is already quietly underway.
Main image: Rebecca Hogg, technical manager, Building Services Research and Intelligence Association
1 BSRIA, Market Intelligence for the World Heat Pump Market 2025
2 University of East London (UEL) “The impacts of occupant behaviour on energy performance, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and health in social housing” p.247
3 Gov.uk, Official Statistics, Council Tax: stock of properties statistical commentary, 2024
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