Do Heat Pumps Work in Cold Weather? UK Winter Performance

Yes — Heat Pumps Work in Cold Weather

Modern air source heat pumps are designed to extract heat from the air even at very low temperatures. Most current models maintain good heating capacity down to -15°C to -20°C.

How Performance Changes With Temperature

• At 10°C: CoP typically 4.0–5.0
• At 0°C: CoP typically 3.0–3.5
• At -5°C: CoP typically 2.5–3.0
• At -10°C: CoP typically 2.0–2.5

Even at -10°C, a CoP of 2.0 means the system is still twice as efficient as direct electric heating.

Zubadan Technology

Mitsubishi's Zubadan technology maintains full heating capacity down to -15°C by using a two-stage compression process — particularly valuable in northern Scotland and elevated areas.

UK Winter Climate Context

The UK has a mild maritime climate. The average January temperature in London is 5°C; in Edinburgh 4°C. For UK homeowners, modern heat pumps are well-suited to our winter climate throughout the year.