An EU-funded project is developing a heat pump on subscription (HPoS) model to make switching to a heat pump more affordable in rented accommodation.
The project, known as HP Subscribe, is set to run from November 2025 to October 2028 and has a total budget of €1,841,898 ($2,161,347) funded under the EU’s LIFE Programme, the bloc’s funding instrument for environment and climate action.
The HPoS model has been designed to facilitate a switch from a fossil fuel boiler to a heat pump without any upfront cost to either a landlord or tenant.
A statement released by the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA), which is a consortium member of the project, explains that the deployment of heat pumps in rented buildings is being hampered by the landlord-tenant split incentive, as building owners hesitate to invest in systems only tenants benefit from, while tenants avoid financing improvements in properties they do not own.
The HPoS model will look to resolve this dynamic by shifting ownership and responsibility to a specialized third party that tenants pay a subscription fee to, rather than having to purchase equipment. Meanwhile, the landlord will be responsible for installing, financing and maintaining the heat pump.
EHPA says the subscription-based service will guarantee efficient and clean heating with reduced costs for tenants, while owners of properties will benefit from higher building value without the burden of capital investment.
The model will be trialled with project actions in Austria, France and Greece, as well as market uptake support in Ireland, where the project will connect existing heat pump initiatives with service providers and financial partners.
HP Subscribe will also explore regulatory and financial tools, including white certificate schemes and demand-response incentives, in a bid to boost the model’s attractiveness and drive wider adoption across Europe.
Organizations from Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Luxembourg and the Netherlands are involved in the project consortium.
“By making clean heating as simple as subscribing, HP Subscribe aims to speed up the decarbonization of leased spaces,” EHPA's statement adds. “Turning heat pumps into a service rather than a product opens the way for faster, scalable and financially attractive climate action across Europe’s building sector.”
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