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Burning fuel is pretty efficient, until you realise that heat pumps have an efficiency greater than 1. So a heat pump driven by electricity uses less energy than burning fuel in a boiler. If the electricity is renewable, so much the better.

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True, I forgot about heat pumps. That’s one of the few times physics let’s you “cheat”.

Heat pumps, however, do not work in all climates

The range of climates that heat pumps work in has expanded a lot in recent years. Some modern heat pumps work efficiently down to -20C or lower.

I'd be surprised if there was anywhere in the UK where modern low-temperature heat pumps regularly don't work.

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