5 Tips for Energy-Efficient Heating (Not Just) in Winter with a Heat Pump

A heat pump can heat and cool your home with minimal energy consumption—and it does so completely automatically. However, to ensure it operates as efficiently as possible, it’s worth knowing a few principles that help keep energy consumption in check while also increasing comfort.

Here are five simple tips based on our technicians’ years of experience and recommendations.

1) A stable temperature instead of switching modes

There is a golden rule for heat pumps: the smoother the operation, the more economical the result. Do not use heating schedules unnecessarily—these are intended more for buildings with intermittent operation. An insulated house has high thermal inertia, and the temperature inside drops slowly. When the system switches to higher output after a pause, it must reheat the water to a higher temperature, often with the help of an auxiliary source, which actually increases energy consumption.

A permanent temperature reduction of 1 °C yields savings of up to 7% in costs. And if you use thermostatic valves or room thermostats, maintain a similar temperature in all rooms. Too large a difference forces the system to work harder—the ideal difference is within 6 °C (e.g., bedroom 18 °C, bathroom 24 °C).

2) Hot water that doesn’t waste electricity

When heating hot water, it’s best to maintain a comfortable temperature of 45–48 °C. A higher setting results in unnecessary heat loss and, consequently, higher bills. In homes with extensive hot water distribution systems, a circulation pump is often installed to keep the water in the pipes constantly warm. However, this can be a major energy drain—especially if the pipes aren’t well insulated. Therefore, only run the circulation system when you’re actually using hot water—for example, in the morning and evening. A timer program or the instant circulation pump start function can help. And if you know you’ll need more hot water than usual (e.g., when bathing children or taking a longer shower), use the one-time water heating function—it saves both time and energy.

3) Keep the pump running even in summer

There is no need to turn off the heat pump outside the heating season. In summer, simply switch to “summer” mode, and the pump will heat water efficiently without unnecessarily starting the compressor.

In addition, some heat pumps can also be used in the summer for gentle interior cooling. Unlike air conditioning, it does not operate on the principle of rapid cooling, but maintains a comfortable temperature consistently without fluctuations. Stable operation means not only lower consumption but also a longer service life for the equipment.