9 June 2026 · 4 min read
What is SCOP, and what does it tell you about a heat pump?
By Stefan Douw · Maker of Stekkerkompas
SCOP stands for Seasonal Coefficient of Performance: a heat pump's average efficiency across a whole heating season. A SCOP of 4.0 means the pump turns 1 kWh of electricity into about 4 kWh of heat, an efficiency of 400%. The higher the SCOP, the less power you need per unit of heat.
SCOP versus COP
The COP is the efficiency at a single moment, at one outdoor temperature. The SCOP is the yearly average, across cold and mild days. For your annual bill the SCOP is the honest number: a COP on a mild day looks better than what you get over the whole year.
What pushes the SCOP up or down
Three things weigh most. The supply temperature: a pump making 35-degree water for underfloor heating or low-temperature radiators is far more efficient than one forced to deliver 55 to 70 degrees for old radiators. Your home's insulation: better insulated means lower temperatures. And the outdoor climate: the colder it is outside, the harder the pump works.
What it means for your bill
Your electricity use for heating is roughly your heat demand divided by the SCOP. A home with 6,000 kWh of heat demand uses about 1,500 kWh at SCOP 4.0, but 2,000 kWh at SCOP 3.0. That gap shows up on your bill. With a hybrid heat pump only the electric part counts; the boiler covers the peak on the coldest days.
Run your own numbers
In the calculator you enter your heat pump's SCOP (or pick a model). You see at once what it means for your usage and payback.
Run the numbers for your home
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