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Break-even calculator: at what gas–electricity price ratio does a heat pump win?
A heat pump beats a condensing boiler when its SCOP is higher than the ratio of the electricity price to the gas price, divided by the boiler's efficiency. Everything else is detail.
Why this one number explains most disagreements
People argue about heat pumps as if it were a technology question. It is mostly a price-ratio question, and the ratio differs enormously between countries. That is why a heat pump is an obvious win in the Netherlands and a genuinely close call in the UK — same machine, different tariffs.
| Country | Price ratio | Break-even SCOP |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (England & Wales) | 3.56 | 3.21 |
| Deutschland | 2.68 | 2.41 |
| Nederland | 1.76 | 1.59 |
| Česká republika | 2.04 | 1.84 |
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