Heat pump adoption across Europe has accelerated to the point where the continent's installed units now displace twice the liquefied natural gas (LNG) imported from the Middle East in 2025, according to a new analysis from the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA). The savings in import costs alone reached €9.7 billion last year.
The EHPA report, covering 21 European countries, found that nearly three million heat pumps were sold in 2025, bringing the total stock to 29.3 million. These new units alone replace 2.5 billion cubic metres of LNG — roughly 24 percent of the EU's imports from the Middle East. Overall, heat pumps now provide as much heat as more than 200 LNG tankers, equivalent to about seven percent of the EU's total annual imported LNG.
“Every heat pump installed is another bolt in the door of European energy security,” said Paul Kenny of EHPA. “LNG is the most expensive energy source and comes from unreliable suppliers. Heat pumps can drastically reduce our need for it. Indeed, Europeans are already turning away from fossil fuel heating as our new data shows.”
France leads, Germany surges, Norway tops per capita
France sold 528,000 heat pumps in 2025, the highest absolute number in Europe, and now has around seven million units installed — more than any other EU member state. Italy followed with 423,000 sales. At the other end of the scale, Malta (2,000), Luxembourg (3,000) and Cyprus (5,000) recorded the fewest sales, though their combined population is only about 2.5 million.
Germany posted the largest year-on-year increase, with installations rising 50 percent. This surge comes despite political controversy: the government dropped a draft law that would have required households to replace fossil-fuel boilers with climate-friendly alternatives. Katherina Droege, parliamentary leader of the Greens — the party that introduced the original law in 2023 — called the reversal “a complete abandonment of Germany's climate targets.”
Relative to population size, Norway leads the continent with 650 heat pumps per 1,000 households. Finland is close behind with just over 540 per 1,000. These Nordic countries have helped debunk the myth that heat pumps are ineffective in cold climates; even at temperatures as low as -30°C, modern heat pumps remain more efficient than electric resistance heating.
Policy push and incentives
The European Commission is preparing a non-legislative package on electrification, expected this month, which may include measures to boost heat pump uptake. The EHPA is urging member states to reduce taxes and VAT on green heating and electricity — a step the Commission is already considering. Many countries already offer incentives; even England, historically a laggard in heat pump adoption, provides a £7,500 (around €8,639) grant for installations meeting certain criteria.
The broader context of Europe's energy security remains fraught. The continent's reliance on Middle Eastern LNG has been a vulnerability, particularly amid tensions that have disrupted supply routes. The EHPA data suggests that accelerating heat pump deployment could significantly reduce that dependence. As Kenny put it, the bloc now needs to make clean heating “as easy and affordable as possible.”
While heat pumps are not a panacea — they require upfront investment and adequate building insulation — their rapid uptake across diverse climates and economies signals a structural shift. With France, Germany and the Nordic countries leading the way, Europe is slowly but steadily turning away from fossil fuel heating, one installation at a time.
