A landmark university study to see if heat pumps give steaming hot baths and showers in a chilly UK winter has seen the new green tech earn a resounding thumbs up. With gas boilers being phased out, there's been a debate if eco heat pumps will provide enough hot water in northern Britain in an icy winter for a steaming bath at the end of a long day.

So University of Salford researchers from their 'Energy House 2.0' unit tested them under "tough climate-controlled conditions" to see if they can live up to Brits daily hot water needs – the first time heat pumps were tested to deliver hot water in warm and cold climates. And the 16-month low carbon heat pump study revealed the technology can meet the average family’s needs without leaving us shivering in a cold bath.

Earlier this year the Daily Express reported how a study looked at why many Britons are being hesitant about buying heat pumps.

But Professor Lubo Jankovic at the University of Salford, who led this work, said: "We have put the two heat pumps under large daily hot water use based on a British Standard to cover the worst-case scenario.

"This included water draw-offs for various uses, from dish washing to household cleaning, baths, showers and other daily demand.

"It was encouraging to see that both heat pumps provided sufficient hot water volume and temperature throughout each day of testing.

"We are delighted that our research can provide reassuring information to consumers about the forthcoming transition from gas boilers to heat pumps."

While Professor Richard Fitton at the University of Salford said: "Following our detailed study on heat pump performance for space heating tasks, hot water provision was always the missing piece of the puzzle.

"So it was reassuring to see that under typical winter conditions the delivered efficiency was over 180 per cent, and hot water demands were being met.

"We look forward to advancing this work to examine dynamic pricing, solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage later this year.

"We will also be looking to stress these systems under some more extreme temperature relative humidity scenarios."

Last year we TV's George Clarke praised heat pumps as we told how Chester Zoo had instaled them to heat their rhinos in winter.

Energy House 2.0 is a specially built climate chamber that recreates temperatures ranging from -20C to +40C, as well as simulating wind, rain, snow and solar radiation.

The chamber enables housebuilder Barratt Redrow to test methods of construction and products at temperatures that would represent anything from a Nordic winter to an African summer.

The Energy House 2.0 chamber can simulate the weather conditions in 95 per cent of the world’s current climates, as well as the climates predicted in the future.

The research was carried out on a concept home built by Barratt Redrow and Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland, known as eHome2 at the Energy House 2.0.

There are two air source heat pumps installed in eHome2: the Curv 195-litre air source heat pump located internally in a cupboard and the 236-litre storage cylinder attached to a Vaillant system.

Both the Vaillant and Curv systems were tested for their ability to meet domestic hot water demands under extreme hot and cold climate conditions.

The Vaillant system - featuring a 236-litre Unistor cylinder and aroTHERM air source heat pump (ASHP) – came in top as the most stable and reliable hot water for a house.

In the Salford study, the heat pump maintained consistent hot water temperatures within the target range, from 25C to 55C, across varying environmental temperatures (5C, 7C and 14C).

The bath tap, which has the highest demand, maintained a steady flow rate for both hot water and mixed water, demonstrating the system’s ability to handle the peak demands of the home without a noticeable drop in performance.

Energy consumption data reveals that the heat pump’s electricity usage decreased as the chamber temperature increased.

At 5C, the heat pump consumed an average of 8.58 kWh per day, whereas at 14°C, the consumption dropped to 6.62 kWh per day.

The Curv system, a compact 195-litre stand-alone cylinder with a smaller buffer tank, sits in a cupboard within the eHome2 at Energy House 2.0, providing a solution for terraced homes and apartments but inly provides hot water, not heating.

The rate of water flow was consistent, meeting required volumes for both bath and kitchen taps for the average family. Its energy consumption was lower than the Vaillant system, dropping from 5.61 kWh/day at 5C to 4.15 kWh/day at 14C.

Based on to the test results, both systems demonstrated the ability to meet domestic hot water needs under varying conditions.

The Vaillant system provides higher stability and reliability due to its buffer tank, while the Curv system provides a more compact and energy-efficient solution.

Oliver Novakovic, Head of Technical & Innovation at Barratt Redrow, added: "It’s understandable consumers have some concerns around whether a new technology such as heat pumps can meet their daily requirements for heating and hot water in their homes.

"Afterall, nobody wants a cold bath. These rigorous hot water tests – along with our earlier tests on heating - demonstrate that heat pumps are an effective and cost-efficient alternative to gas boilers.

"Our own research shows that consumers prefer to buy homes that are much better for the environment."