Energy guide
Heating costs in a new build: heat pump instead of gas
How much does it cost to heat a new efficiency house – and how much an older house with gas or oil? Work it out here using the semi-detached house in Graf-Arnulf-Park: groundwater heat pump, underfloor heating and ventilation with heat recovery, Efficiency House 55.
- €370–470heating and hot water per year (cautious estimate)
- EH 55Efficiency House, energy class A+
- ≈ 85 %less primary energy than the new-build limit
- No gasheat from the groundwater, no oil
What you pay for heating each year
Compare the heating costs of the semi-detached house in Graf-Arnulf-Park with an older house of the same size – or simply enter your current heating costs.
The calculation covers heating and hot water per year, without standing charges. For the new build we deliberately calculate cautiously: the preliminary energy demand calculation of the planning, based on the standard electricity mix, even arrives at a lower electricity demand. With the optional PV system, costs are likely to fall further.
Heating costs per year
Same size as the semi-detached house: 154 m² of living space, not renovated.
Cautious estimate for heating and hot water without standing charges; Graf-Arnulf-Park €370 to €470 per year, without photovoltaics. Average values, as of October 2026.
Why the groundwater heat pump heats so economically
Groundwater stays at an almost constant temperature all year round. The heat pump uses this warmth and raises it to heating temperature – turning one kilowatt hour of electricity into four to five kilowatt hours of heat. It is the most efficient type of heat pump, quiet and free of fossil fuels.
Several things work together to keep the warmth inside: underfloor heating in all living rooms and bathrooms that works with a low flow temperature, ventilation with heat recovery, triple-glazed windows and solid brick walls.
- 4–5 ×as much heat as electricity used
- Underfloor heatingin all living rooms and bathrooms
- Ventilationwith heat recovery
- Tripleglazed windows
Why a new build makes sense in the years ahead
Anyone heating with oil or gas today pays a CO₂ price that will keep rising in the coming years. A house with a heat pump is not affected: it heats without fossil fuels, and its electricity can increasingly come from renewable sources – from your own roof if you wish.
What is more, a new build to today’s standard will not need an energy retrofit for years. Older houses, by contrast, often face a new heating system, new windows or insulation.
How we calculated
The calculator uses average values to give you an order of magnitude. Your actual costs depend on your consumption, the number of occupants, the room temperature and your electricity tariff.
The house’s energy figures come from the preliminary energy demand calculation of the planning. The final energy certificate will be issued after completion.
The assumptions
| Heat demand of the new build (heating + hot water) | 45 kWh/(m²·a) |
|---|---|
| Living space | 154 m² |
| Seasonal performance factor of the heat pump | 4–5 |
| Electricity price, heat pump tariff | 27 ct/kWh |
| Gas price incl. CO₂ price | 12 ct/kWh |
| Heating oil price incl. CO₂ price | 11 ct/kWh |
| Older house, built up to 1978 | 200 kWh/(m²·a) |
| Older house, built 1979 to 1994 | 150 kWh/(m²·a) |
| Older house, built 1995 to 2009 | 110 kWh/(m²·a) |
| Older house, built from 2010 | 75 kWh/(m²·a) |
Average values, as of October 2026; electricity price: typical heat pump tariff. For the new build, calculated more cautiously than the preliminary demand calculation of the planning.
Frequently asked questions
Brief answers – for anything else, just get in touch.
What does it cost to heat a new build with a heat pump?
For the semi-detached house in Graf-Arnulf-Park with 154 m² of living space, we estimate heating and hot water at a few hundred euros per year – calculated cautiously without photovoltaics. An older house of the same size with gas or oil heating can easily cost several times as much, depending on its age.
How does a groundwater heat pump work?
It uses the warmth of the groundwater, which stays at an almost constant temperature all year, and raises it to heating temperature with electricity. One kilowatt hour of electricity becomes four to five kilowatt hours of heat.
Do I need a photovoltaic system?
No, the heat pump also runs on grid electricity – the house’s energy figures are calculated with the standard electricity mix. A PV system is optional; with your own solar power, costs are likely to fall further. We are happy to discuss the details in person.
How reliable are the figures?
The calculator uses average values and the preliminary demand calculation of the planning. It shows an order of magnitude, not a guarantee: your actual costs depend on consumption and your electricity tariff. The final energy certificate will be issued after completion.
