Net Zero: Transforming NHS’s energy efficiency

The NHS is on a mission to become the world's first Net Zero national health service. As one of the UK's largest energy consumers, its vast estate — including hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities — accounts for around
15 per cent of total public sector emissions.¹

Due to the need to maintain safe and comfortable environments for patients, staff, and sensitive medical equipment, heating and cooling account for the biggest energy demands in the NHS, and are among the biggest contributors to the NHS's carbon footprint. Heating alone accounts for a significant proportion of the NHS's 5% share of total UK emissions, making it a major area for intervention in the transition to Net Zero.²

Traditionally reliant on gas-fired boilers and steam heating systems, the NHS now faces a major challenge: transitioning to low-carbon heating solutions that can deliver the efficiency, reliability, and resilience, required for 24/7 healthcare operations. Heat pumps are emerging as a key technology in this transition. By extracting heat from the air, ground, or water, heat pumps can provide hospitals with efficient, low-carbon heating and cooling while significantly reducing energy consumption. Unlike the most efficient gas boilers (A-rated), which operate at around 90% efficiency (1:0.9 energy-to-heat ratio), heat pumps can achieve efficiencies of up to 300% or more (1:3 or higher energy-to-heat ratio). This efficiency gain makes heat pumps an essential part of the NHS decarbonisation strategy, helping to achieve the ambitious target of an 80% reduction in emissions between 2028 and 2032, on the path to full Net Zero by 2040.¹