How to heat your house in 2026: heat pump, gas or electricity?

Heating is the biggest running cost of a house. Choosing the right heat source therefore determines what you will pay for the next 15–20 years. Let's look at the three most common options for family houses.

Heat pump — today's new-build standard

An air-to-water heat pump extracts heat from outdoor air and transfers it to the heating water. From 1 kWh of electricity it typically produces 3–4 kWh of heat, so running costs are far lower than direct electric or gas heating.

• Installation: roughly CZK 250–400k including fitting (before subsidies).
• Running costs: the lowest of common sources; plus you get a discounted electricity tariff for the whole house.
• Subsidies: state support is currently available for heat pumps, shortening payback significantly.
• Bonus: many models can also cool in summer and heat domestic hot water.

Gas condensing boiler

Gas remains a convenient solution where a connection exists: the boiler is cheap, compact and easy to service. The downside is uncertainty about gas prices and emissions policy — new builds rarely specify gas today.

• Installation: roughly CZK 80–150k (boiler + fitting), plus a possible connection.
• Running costs: medium; depends on gas prices.

Electric boiler and direct heaters

Cheapest to buy, most expensive to run. They make sense in very well-insulated small houses, as a backup, or combined with photovoltaics. In an average house, electricity bills quickly outgrow the installation savings.

Underfloor heating or radiators?

Underfloor heating works with lower water temperature — an ideal match for a heat pump: the system runs in economy mode and heat is pleasantly distributed across the room. We recommend it for nearly every new build; for renovations it depends on floor build-up and heights. Radiators react faster and suit rooms used briefly.

Our recommendations

For both new builds and renovations we design the heating system to fit — including underfloor heating and PV readiness. In our online calculator you can add a heat pump straight to your house price.