Heating and cooling account for approximately 70% of the final energy consumption of households in Cyprus, a new report of the the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) published on Thursday on the state of the heat pump market in EU Member States, shows.
According to the data, Cyprus has about 81% fewer heating degree days than the European average, but 610% more cooling degree days, which affects the use of energy systems in buildings. At the same time, around 15% of households in Cyprus are unable to keep their homes adequately warm, while 8% have arrears on utility bills
The report’s findings are based on aggregated public data from sources such as Eurostat, EurObserv’ER, the European Heat Pump Association, as well as national statistical authorities.
The report provides a detailed overview of the situation in Cyprus, where heating and cooling account for approximately 70% of the final energy consumption of households. At the same time, renewable energy sources cover about 43% of the total energy used for heating and cooling across all sectors. According to the data, around 150,000 households in Cyprus use an oil or gas boiler for heating, representing roughly 39% of all households.
As reported, heat pumps in Cyprus are mainly used for cooling, with cooling output exceeding heating use by more than five times. In terms of energy efficiency, replacing an oil boiler with an electric heat pump is estimated to reduce energy consumption by around 83%, while carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by approximately 68%. It is noted that the exact energy savings depend on factors such as building insulation, heat pump efficiency, and user behaviour.
Special reference is made to the building stock, as 57% of buildings in Cyprus were constructed before 2000, i.e. before the adoption of stricter energy performance standards. The country also has lower heating needs compared with the EU average, but significantly higher cooling needs.
More specifically, Cyprus has about 81% fewer heating degree days than the European average, but 610% more cooling degree days, which affects the use of energy systems in buildings.
According to the report, around 15% of households in Cyprus are unable to keep their homes adequately warm, while 8% have arrears on utility bills. At the same time, subsidies are available covering up to 60% of the installation cost of heat pumps, subject to specific eligibility conditions.