Heat pump or boiler? Pros and cons for anyone renovating in Turin

Until a few years ago the answer was obvious: a condensing boiler. Today anyone renovating in Turin faces a real choice, not least because since 2025 gas-only boilers no longer qualify for tax deductions. Let us look at it calmly.

How they work

• Condensing boiler: burns gas and recovers heat from the flue gases. Heats water to high temperatures (60-70 °C), perfect for existing radiators.
• Heat pump: takes heat from the outside air using electricity, like an air conditioner in reverse. Performs best with low-temperature water (35-45 °C): underfloor heating, fan coils or oversized radiators. In summer it cools.
• Hybrid system: heat pump plus a boiler that only steps in on the coldest days. Often the most sensible solution in partial renovations, and it remains deductible.

The comparison

	Condensing boiler	Heat pump	Hybrid
Initial cost	low	high	medium-high
Running cost	depends on gas	low	low
Existing radiators	perfect	often need upsizing	fine
Summer cooling	no	yes	yes
2026 deductions	no (gas only)	yes	yes
Space and noise	indoors, quiet	outdoor unit, needs good placement	both

When a heat pump makes sense

• Complete renovation with underfloor heating or new emitters.
• Insulated house (external insulation, new windows): less heat needed, better performance.
• You also want summer cooling from a single system.

When to stay on gas (or go hybrid)

• Flat in an apartment block with cast-iron radiators and little room for the outdoor unit.
• Poorly insulated house that cannot be insulated now.
• A budget that must also cover bathroom, systems and finishes: better a well-made hybrid than an undersized heat pump.

Hot water

With a heat pump you need a storage tank (150-300 litres depending on the household): space must be planned, often in a storage room or utility room. With a boiler, hot water is instantaneous. In homes with several bathrooms the tank is an advantage anyway.

The outdoor unit

In an apartment block it must be placed in line with the building rules and appearance (balconies, courtyards, roof), away from your own and your neighbours' bedrooms. Recent machines are quiet, but we decide the position together at the site visit, not afterwards.

In the quote we always compare two solutions with installation costs and an estimate of running costs, so you choose with the numbers in front of you.