Gas demand downside risk – what is the potential for heat pumps in the EU?

The popularity of heat pumps in the EU is on the increase; this has the potential to significantly impact the region's gas demand profile. Heat pumps are a very efficient technology resulting in much lower carbon emissions than conventional heating technologies such as gas condensing boilers, so why are they not taking more market share in the EU's heating and cooling sector? A combination of high unit and infrastructure costs and low incentives have prevented wide spread uptake of heat pumps. However, with the EU targeting large reductions in emissions in the heating and cooling sector, heat pumps may receive more support as a low carbon technology that can work effectively in all climates and are non-intermittent, giving it an edge over other "green" technologies.