Residential heat pump sales rose 17% year on year across 11 European countries in the first quarter of 2026, with France, Germany, and Poland averaging 25% growth following a sharp jump in gas and oil prices after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in March.

A total of around 575,000 residential heat pump units were sold across 11 European countries from January to March 2026, up from 494,000 in the same period in 2025, according to the EHPA.

France, Germany, and Poland averaged 25% sales growth over the quarter, with national experts citing rising energy prices and energy insecurity concerns as key drivers, effects that EHPA said were particularly pronounced from March onward. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on March 2, sharply pushing up gas and oil prices across Europe.

The overall average was held down by Austria, where sales fell 30% due to the absence of government subsidies.

“If your streaming service doubled its price then blocked its movies you'd find a better one,” said Paul Kenny, director general of the EHPA. “Consumers have realized heat pumps are the solution when gas and oil are erratic in price and supply.”

Kenny said the European Commission has outlined steps to support heat pump adoption in its energy crisis plan, including VAT and tax reductions and social leasing schemes for lower-income households, and called on EU governments to implement these measures rapidly.

Rising gas prices have been shifting the economics of residential heating in Europe for several years. Studies published in 2024 found that heat pump and PV combinations become cheaper than gas heating within 11 to 14 years, that air-source heat pumps rank among the cheapest residential heating options with or without solar. In Germany, one of the three markets posting above-average growth, public and political sentiment around heat pump policy has remained volatile despite broad support for the technology.