If you want to stop relying on natural gas, a heat pump is a good option. A heat pump heats your home using electricity, taking heat from the air, ground, or groundwater. A hybrid heat pump uses significantly less gas to heat your home. And a fully electric heat pump doesn’t use any whatsoever, and it also provides hot water. Which is good for the environment.
Besides heat pumps, you can also opt to connect to a heat network—if one is available in your area. Or use infrared panels for supplementary heating. Low temperature heating could also be a solid option for your home.
Easy ways to save energy without installing measures
Milieu Centraal (Environment Central) has 4 easy ways to save on heating. Follow their tips to heat your home without wasting heat—at no additional cost.
Get more information and energy saving tips on Milieu Centraal’s website (in Dutch).
"}},{"componentType":"promotionalBanner","icon":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/bc98b812-1d22-4f9a-8c54-0a560ae59f41/Circle-Keys-9","type":"image","width":64,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/de63ea5d47373bc/original/Circle-Keys-9.svg","extension":"svg"},"body":"Discover the costs and benefits of making your home more energy efficient.","date":{},"textLink":{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/upgrade-check","text":"Start the Upgrade Check"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Most common heat pump types"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"A heat pump is an alternative to a gas boiler or works in conjunction with it. It heats your home and often provides hot water in the bathroom and kitchen as well. A heat pump runs on electricity and takes heat from the air, ground, or groundwater.
Depending on what suits your home, you can opt for:
"}},{"componentType":"accordion","accordionList":[{"title":"Hybrid heat pump","richBody":{"value":"A hybrid heat pump, which works in conjunction with your gas boiler. When a lot of heat is needed quickly, like in the morning or on very cold days, the gas boiler switches on to provide heating. The boiler will also always provide hot water to your bathroom or kitchen. So you’ll save on gas, but you’ll still use some of it. You can have a hybrid heat pump installed even with moderate home insulation.
Learn more about hybrid heat pumps here (Milieu Centraal, in Dutch).
"},"alignedImage":{"position":"right"},"textLinks":[{"url":"https://www.milieucentraal.nl/energie-besparen/duurzaam-verwarmen-en-koelen/hybride-warmtepomp/","text":"More on hybrid heat pumps (Milieu Centraal in Dutch)"}]},{"title":"Fully electric heat pump","richBody":{"value":"
A fully electric heat pump will completely replace your gas boiler. This heat pump provides heating as well as hot water. It’s an essential step towards natural gas-free living. A fully electric heat pump suits a reasonably or well-insulated home that can be heated with a maximum hot water temperature of 50 degrees Celsius, even on cold days. This goes for most properties built in or after 1992, and for properties with HR++ glass windows. If your property is older, it depends on whether insulation improvements were made after construction.
Learn more about fully electric heat pumps here.
Your home is suitable for a fully electric heat pump if it’s reasonably to well insulated, and if a maximum hot water temperature of 50 degrees Celsius suffices, even on cold days. Most properties built in or after 1992 and have HR++ glazed windows are suitable for a heat pump. Note that installation usually requires some modifications. If your property was built before 1992, it depends on whether additional insulation and ventilation measures were installed after construction. But even if your home is less well insulated, you can almost always have a heat pump installed. You could also choose to first install better insulation or ventilation measures before getting a heat pump. Whatever you decide, always reach out to a skilled expert for advice and installation.
"}}]},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Other ways of heating your home"},{"componentType":"accordion","accordionList":[{"title":"Heat network","richBody":{"value":"A heat network is used to heat homes in a neighbourhood. It’s also called district heating or block heating. A heat network is a very large central heating system with a central heat source somewhere in the area. This heat source works the same as the central heating system in your home: it heats water. Then, hot water flows through pipes to heat properties. There’s a small installation in each home, which contains a heat exchanger. This divides the heat between heating and hot water. Cool water flows back to the central source, where it’s heated and distributed again.
Around 6% of Dutch homes are connected to a heat network. Heat networks are only sustainable and good for the environment if they use sustainable sources (e.g. geothermal heat).
Each municipality has drawn up their own Heat Transition Vision. This contains the plans for each district in your municipality, and includes whether your district has plans for a heat network. Find more information on your municipality’s website.
Find more information about heat networks at Milieu Centraal (in Dutch).
"}},{"title":"Infrared panels","richBody":{"value":"Infrared panels could be a good supplemental heating option for your sitting room, or rooms you don’t use as much. They provide targeted heating, so you can choose to heat only the room you’re in.
Unless your home is very well insulated, infrared panels aren’t as suitable as a main heating system.
Learn more about infrared panels here.
"}},{"title":"Low temperature heating","richBody":{"value":"Low temperature heating is an important step towards making your home natural gas-free with things like heat pumps or heat networks, for instance. But low temperature heating could be an interesting option even if you’re not planning to switch from a gas boiler just yet. You’ll save energy, after all! So what is low temperature heating? And when would it suit your home?
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/duurzaam-wonen/laag-temperatuur-verwarming","text":"More on low temperature heating"}]},{"title":"Underfloor heating and floor insulation","richBody":{"value":"Do you have underfloor heating, or are you planning to install it? Then good floor insulation is especially important. Otherwise, a lot of heat will escape into the ground or crawl space. For underfloor heating, you need an insulation value of at least Rd 5. With poor insulation, too much heat is lost to the much colder crawl space or subsoil. That’s a waste. You can read more about it at Milieu Centraal (in Dutch).
"}}]},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Subsidies and financing"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"The English text of the website is a translation of the Dutch original version. This translation is intended for the customers convenience only. In case of any discrepancies between the two versions, the original Dutch version shall prevail. The mortgage offer and contract will be signed in Dutch. Also, all further communication after signing the mortgage contract will be in Dutch. You acknowledge and accept this. If any assistance or clarification is needed, we recommend contacting your mortgage advisor or to call our customer service via the ING app.
"}}]},"complementaryZone":{"flexComponents":[{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Popular with other homeowners"},{"componentType":"cards","cards":[{"componentType":"serviceCard","cardType":"service","cardSize":"small","title":"Subsidies","intro":"What subsidies are there? And how much can you get?","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/ad83ddc7-b3fe-448a-8f9b-f76ffd6dc54b/Large_Web-and-Screen-Three-young-girls-peek-over-ledge-smiling","type":"image","width":1920,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/5b51ed4362897aa4/original/Large_Web-and-Screen-Three-young-girls-peek-over-ledge-smiling.jpg","extension":"jpg"},"link":{"url":"/particulier/hypotheek/duurzaam-wonen/overheidssubsidies"}},{"componentType":"serviceCard","cardType":"service","cardSize":"small","title":"Financing","intro":"Check out how you can finance a sustainable renovation.","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/72929bb8-a251-4fa2-a284-590d779b1a56/PORTRAIT-OF-A-SMILING-GIRL-WITH-WOMAN","type":"image","width":5700,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/3819b7025de5501d/original/PORTRAIT-OF-A-SMILING-GIRL-WITH-WOMAN.jpg","extension":"jpg"},"link":{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/financing-sustainable-renovation"}}]},{"componentType":"cards","cards":[{"componentType":"serviceCard","cardType":"service","cardSize":"small","title":"Insulation","intro":"Upgrade your house with insulation.","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/406856f5-2a66-4749-a881-c8076d3f7336/LinkedIn-image-Construction-site-close-up-with-workers-making-dry-wall-and-implementing-glass-wool-earthwool-acoustic","type":"image","width":1200,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/32084a843f4136d6/original/LinkedIn-image-Construction-site-close-up-with-workers-making-dry-wall-and-implementing-glass-wool-earthwool-acoustic.jpg","extension":"jpg"},"link":{"url":"/en/personal/mortgage/sustainable-living/insulation"}}]}]}}}