Heat pump sales increased by 16% in the first half of the year, compared to the same period last year, it emerges figures published Monday by Climaféd and Frixis, two federations in the sector. Last year, sales of this type of device fell 40% in Belgium.
Behind this rebound, a clear sign: the energy transition does not progress in a straight line but out of jolts, tossed between political incentives, perception of households and economic constraints.
It is the air/water systems that pull the market (+47% for monoblocs), while geothermal technologies (+37%) and air/air, long confused with simple air conditioners, find their place in domestic heating strategies. A total of 17,800 aircraft have been installed since January, against 15,350 over the same period last year.
Hardening of tax rules
This reversal is partly explained by the tightening of tax rules: VAT increased to 21% for conventional boilers and the-program law which gradually adds fossil fuels, while reducing the cost of electricity. But the Climafé and Frixis federations temper enthusiasm: “As long as electricity remains four times more expensive than gas, economic logic will remain fragile”, they warn.
In other words, the heat pump today symbolizes a double -speed transition : pushed by law, hampered by invoices. The progression of 2025 may well mark the beginning of a lasting recovery – provided that Belgium finally settles the question of the price of electricity, Achille heel of any electrification of heating.
