Heating a House in Cyprus: Central Heating, AC or Heat Pump?
How to keep a Cyprus home warm through the cold weeks: the options compared, running costs worked out from your own bill, the official safety rules for gas heaters and fireplaces, and who to call.
The short answer: a heat pump gets the most warmth from each unit of electricity, and a split air conditioner with a heat mode is one. An air to water heat pump feeding underfloor heating or radiators suits a well insulated home lived in all winter. Electric heaters cost nothing to fit but use the most electricity for the same warmth. Portable gas heaters and fireplaces need strict ventilation and safety checks. Whatever you choose, look at the roof, windows and draughts first, because they decide how much heat the house needs.
Ask Google's Cyprus search about heating and its suggestions tell the story: central heating, radiators, underfloor heating, heat pumps, wood burners and winter heating costs. People are weighing up the same handful of options.
This guide compares those options, shows how to work out what each will cost to run from your own electricity bill, sets out the official safety advice for gas heaters and fireplaces, and tells you which trade to call. It does not repeat our heat pump checklist, which covers choosing and installing a heat pump in detail.
Why do Cyprus houses feel so cold in winter?
Nights get cold inland and in the hills, winter air is damp, and heat escapes quickly through uninsulated roofs, single glazing and draughty frames.
Visit Cyprus, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism's website, describes mild winters from December to February. It puts the average January minimum at 5°C on the central plain and 0°C on the higher Troodos, where snow usually arrives before Christmas, and gives humidity of 65% to 95% on winter days.
The way houses are built matters as much as the weather. As our plastering guide explains, most houses here have a reinforced concrete frame filled in with blocks, and as our roofers page notes, most have flat concrete roofs. Where the roof and walls have little or no insulation, the heat you pay for escapes quickly. The International Energy Agency (IEA) says heat pumps work best in a well insulated house, and that a well insulated home needs a smaller heat pump than a poorly insulated one.
Cold rooms are also where winter mould starts. Our guide to mould on walls in Cyprus explains why, and what to do about it.
What are the main ways to heat a house in Cyprus?
Split air conditioning on heat, an air to water heat pump, an oil or gas boiler, electric heaters, portable gas heaters or a wood burner.
| Option | How it heats | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split air conditioner on heat mode | Moves warmth from the outside air into the room | Rooms you use every day, in homes that already have units | Each indoor unit heats only its own room; units need regular cleaning and servicing |
| Air to water heat pump | Heats water for underfloor pipes or radiators, and often your hot water | A home lived in all winter, ideally well insulated | The most design work: emitters, cylinder, controls and electrics all need checking |
| Oil or gas boiler (central heating) | Burns heating oil or gas to heat water for radiators or underfloor pipes | Homes that already have the pipework and a working boiler | Fuel deliveries, a safe flue, servicing and fuel prices that change |
| Electric heaters | Turn electricity straight into heat | Occasional use in one room or a short cold spell | The most electricity for the same warmth |
| Portable gas heater with no flue | Burns gas from a bottle and lets the fumes into the room | Short, supervised use in a well aired living room | Banned by official guidance in bedrooms, bathrooms, basements, garages and caravans |
| Wood burner or open fireplace | Burns wood, with the smoke carried up a chimney | Houses with a sound chimney, often in villages and the hills | Needs a specialist installer, a ventilated room and chimney checks every winter |
Can I heat my house with air conditioning?
Yes, if your split units have a heat mode. They then work as air to air heat pumps, moving warmth from outside air indoors.
The IEA explains that heat pumps use technology similar to an air conditioner, and that many of them also cool in summer. Where units are already on the wall, using them on heat is usually the simplest step: no pipes, no tank and no flue.
The limit is that each indoor unit heats the room it is in, so halls, bathrooms and closed bedrooms stay cold unless they have a unit of their own. Ask the installer how much heat each unit gives out on a cold night, because output and efficiency change with the outdoor temperature.
Before the cold weeks, clean or check the filters as your model's instructions say, and book a service if a unit blows cool air on heat, drips or shows a fault code. Our AC services and repair page lists what to send when you report a fault. Armstrong Cooling, listed on TrustedTradesCyprus and working island wide, covers split, ducted and VRF systems; ask them to confirm your model and address. For new units, see all air conditioning businesses in Cyprus.
Is a heat pump worth it for central heating in Cyprus?
It can be, in a home lived in all winter, with good insulation and underfloor heating or radiators that suit lower water temperatures.
An air to water heat pump heats water for underfloor pipes or radiators, and often for your hot water too. The IEA puts the efficiency of a typical household heat pump at around four: about four units of heat for each unit of electricity it uses. It says that makes current models three to five times more energy efficient than gas boilers, and that heat pumps still save energy in poorly insulated homes, although they work best in well insulated ones.
In an existing house, the big question is the radiators or floor. Our heat pump checklist asks whether they suit the proposed operating temperatures, and recommends a room by room assessment for any radiator conversion rather than choosing a unit from floor area alone. It also covers the system types and what a complete quote should include, so read it before you ask for prices.
No business on TrustedTradesCyprus lists heat pumps as its main trade today. Plumbers, electricians and air conditioning firms may each cover part of the job, so ask who will design, connect and commission the whole system.
What about an oil or gas boiler?
A boiler burns heating oil or gas to heat water for radiators or underfloor pipes. You pay for fuel deliveries, servicing and a safe flue.
If your house already has a working boiler and radiators, start by having the system serviced and checked, then decide whether to keep it or change the heat source. A heat pump can sometimes use the existing pipework, but the radiators and water temperatures need checking first, as above.
Fuel prices change, so compare an installer's estimate of how much fuel the boiler will use in a typical winter, not just a price per litre. Any appliance that burns fuel needs a working flue and ventilation. The Cyprus Fire Service says a carbon monoxide detector in the home gives extra protection and warning.
Are electric heaters expensive to run?
Per hour of warmth, yes. An electric heater turns each unit of electricity into one unit of heat, while a heat pump gives several.
The US Department of Energy describes electric resistance heating as 100% efficient only in the sense that all the electricity becomes heat. The IEA counts heat pumps as far more efficient than electric heaters, because they move heat from outside rather than making it. Oil filled radiators, fan heaters and panel heaters all work this way.
They cost little to buy and nothing to install, so they make sense for occasional use: one room for an hour, or a short cold spell. If heaters trip the electrics, or you want fixed heaters on new circuits, ask one of our electricians in Cyprus.
Are portable gas heaters safe to use indoors?
Only with care. Official Cyprus guidance says flueless gas heaters release fumes indoors, need constant ventilation and must never run while you sleep.
These are the heaters on wheels that hold a gas bottle. In December 2025 the Electromechanical Services Department published safety guidance on them. In short:
- Use them only in well ventilated rooms, and do not seal the gaps around doors and windows.
- Never use one in a bedroom, bathroom, basement, garage or caravan: the guidance says use there is banned.
- Always stay with a lit heater, and never leave it on while you sleep.
- Fit a carbon monoxide detector in the room.
- Face the heater towards the middle of the room, keep it well away from curtains, furniture and anything that burns, never put clothes on or near it, and do not move it while it is lit.
- Use the right regulator for the heater. Replace an old or worn hose, tighten its clamps, and check the joints with soapy water, never a flame.
- The flame should be steady and blue. If it burns yellow or orange, switch the heater off at once.
- Change the bottle outdoors or in a well aired space away from flames, and turn the gas off at the main valve after use.
- Keep children, older people and pets away from the hot surfaces.
If you smell gas, open the doors and windows, turn the gas off at the main valve, go outside for fresh air and call the company that supplied the heater. Do not use it again until their representative has checked it and found it safe. Have the heater serviced regularly, as its maker's instructions say. The department's information lines are 22800518 and 22800534.
Can I put in a wood burner or open fireplace?
Yes, but the Cyprus Fire Service advises a specialist technician to install it, a well ventilated room, and a full chimney check before every winter.
The Fire Service's guidance on wood burning fireplaces covers where one can go and how to use it:
- The floor and the structure around and under the fireplace should be fire resistant. Never stand one on a wooden floor.
- Avoid bedrooms, inside rooms with no direct access to open air, halls and stairwells.
- The guidance also sets rules for the chimney itself, from fire resistant materials to one chimney for each fireplace, and asks for extra care in prefabricated homes. Ask your installer to show how they meet them.
- Before the season, check the chimney cap for nests, branches and rubbish, and the brickwork and render for missing pieces. If the roof is steep or high, use binoculars from the ground rather than climbing up. With a torch, check the damper opens, closes and seals, and look for cracked or missing firebricks. Any damage inside the fireplace needs a technician before it is lit.
- Never light it with liquid fuel or alcohol. Use kindling or firelighters, do not overload it, and do not burn old furniture, chipboard, MDF, plywood, plastics or rubber.
- Use a spark guard if the fireplace has no glass door. Fit smoke detectors and test them every six months, keep a fire extinguisher ready, and add a carbon monoxide detector.
No business on TrustedTradesCyprus lists wood burners or chimney work today. If the fireplace is part of a wider renovation, our guide to renovating a village house in Cyprus covers permits and the order of works.
How do I work out what heating will cost to run?
Find your real price per unit of electricity from your last bill, then multiply it by the units each option needs for the same warmth.
First, take your last electricity bill and divide the total you paid by the number of kWh, or units, it shows. That gives an all in price per kWh, taxes and charges included. If your bill includes fixed charges, the figure slightly overstates the cost of each extra unit, but it is close enough to compare options.
Then compare how much electricity each option needs for the same warmth. Our example is 10 kWh of heat, which is what a 2 kW heater gives out in 5 hours:
| Heating | Efficiency assumed | Electricity used for 10 kWh of heat |
|---|---|---|
| Electric heater (oil filled, fan or panel) | 1: all the electricity becomes heat | 10 kWh |
| Heat pump or AC on heat, on a cold night or an older unit | 3 | about 3.3 kWh |
| Heat pump at the IEA's typical figure | 4 | 2.5 kWh |
Multiply the last column by your price per kWh and you have the cost of those 5 hours for each option. The efficiency figures are our assumptions for the example: real performance depends on the model, the outdoor temperature and, for underfloor heating or radiators, the water temperature. Ask the installer for a written running cost estimate that states the tariff it assumes, as our heat pump checklist recommends, and for the seasonal heating efficiency, called SCOP, of the exact model.
For an oil or gas boiler, ask the installer how much fuel it should use in a typical winter, then price that with your supplier's current price. If you have solar panels, tell any heating installer their size and how you use electricity during the day, because that changes the sums.
We do not quote euro figures here. Tariffs and fuel prices change, and news reports on Cyprus heating costs use different years and sources. Your own bill is the most reliable number you have.
Which heating suits my kind of home?
It depends on the building and how you use it: an apartment, a villa, a village house and a new build need different answers.
- An apartment. Outdoor units often go on a balcony or the roof, and the building may have rules about where. Check with the management before you choose, as our heat pump checklist advises. Split units on heat are often the simplest answer. A gas heater with no flue in a small, closed flat breaks the ventilation rules above.
- A villa with a flat concrete roof. Start with the roof. Our roofers page explains that a repair can include insulation boards with a new covering on top. Then choose between split units in the rooms you use and a whole house system.
- A stone village house in the hills. Expect colder nights than on the coast, and often an existing fireplace. Have the chimney checked as the Fire Service advises before you light it, and deal with any damp first.
- A new build with underfloor pipes. Ask the developer in writing what the pipes are connected to and for the commissioning records. Our snagging guide lists the paperwork to ask for at handover.
- A holiday home left empty in winter. An empty house gets no heating or airing, so mould can still take hold. Our guide to property maintenance while you live abroad covers what a key holder should do.
Should I insulate before I change the heating?
Usually, yes. The roof, windows and draughts decide how much heat you need, and a smaller system then costs less to buy and run.
The IEA makes the same point for heat pumps: a well insulated home needs a smaller one. On a flat roof, our roofers page describes insulation boards with a new covering, which also keep the rooms below cooler in summer. For glass and frames, our windows and doors page covers the questions to ask about glazing, airtightness and shutters.
The Save and Upgrade Homes 2026 grant paid towards insulation, windows, efficient air conditioners and heat pumps, but it closed to new applications in October. Our energy grant guide explains what approved homeowners must do next and how to get ready for a future round.
Who should I call for heating work?
Call the trade that matches the system: an air conditioning firm for split units, a plumber for pipework and radiators, an electrician for the supply.
- Split units, on heat or new: air conditioning businesses, and the AC services page for servicing and faults.
- A heat pump for central heating: start with our heat pump checklist, then ask plumbers, electricians and air conditioning firms which parts of the job they cover.
- Radiators, underfloor pipes and boilers: plumbers in Cyprus. The plumbers listed today work from Paphos, Limassol and Larnaca. TNL Plumbing Services in Paphos lists general plumbing and bathroom work; ask whether they take on heating.
- Supply, circuits and controls: electricians.
- Roof insulation: roofers. Windows and shutters: window and door specialists. Bigger building work: builders.
You can also see every listed trade in Paphos, Limassol and Larnaca. If no one listed fits the job, tell us what you need and we will help find someone suitable.
The Energy Service keeps a register of installers of technical building systems, with Category A for heating, Category B for air conditioning and ventilation and Category C for hot water. Ask which category the person doing your work is registered in, alongside the verification details on their TrustedTradesCyprus profile.
What should I ask before I pay for heating work?
Ask how much heat each room needs, what the system will cost to run on your tariff, and who will service it afterwards.
- How did you work out the size? Did you look at every room, the insulation and the windows?
- What will it cost to run, at what price per kWh or per litre, and for how many hours a day?
- What is the seasonal heating efficiency (SCOP) of this exact model?
- Will my existing radiators or underfloor pipes work with it, and at what water temperature?
- Does my electricity supply need upgrading, and who does that work?
- Who services it, how often, and what does a service include?
- Which category of the Energy Service's installer register are you in?
- Will the quote name the model, the warranty, the commissioning record, the exclusions and the VAT?
What affects the cost of installing heating?
The system type, how many rooms it serves, the pipework and electrics it needs, access for outdoor units or a flue, and making good afterwards.
We do not publish prices for heating work because they depend so much on the house. Ask for a written quote that lists each of these separately, so that quotes can be compared line by line:
- The equipment: make, exact model and the output it was sized for.
- How many rooms or indoor units, and whether radiators, underfloor pipes or a hot water cylinder are included.
- Electrical work, from a new circuit to a supply upgrade, and who carries it out.
- Access and positions: outdoor units on a roof or balcony, a flue or chimney, lifting and scaffolding.
- Making good: repairing floors, plaster and paint after pipes or cables go in.
- Removing the old equipment, commissioning, a demonstration and the first service.
Our quote comparison tool helps you weigh two or three quotes for the same job, and our guide on how to check a builder in Cyprus covers the checks to make before you pay a deposit.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a carbon monoxide detector?
Cyprus guidance recommends one in any room with a gas heater that has no flue, and the Fire Service recommends one in homes with a fireplace.
Is there a grant for a heat pump or air conditioner in Cyprus?
The 2026 Save and Upgrade Homes grant covered both, but it closed to new applications in October 2026. Check official notices before you count on a future round.
Sources
- How a heat pump works, The Future of Heat Pumps, International Energy Agency
- Does a heat pump work in a house with poor insulation?, Energy Efficiency 2024, International Energy Agency
- Electric resistance heating, Energy Saver, US Department of Energy
- Guidance on the safe use of common flueless LPG heaters, Electromechanical Services Department, gov.cy, December 2025 (in Greek)
- Cyprus Fire Service guidance on the safe use of fireplaces, as published by Dialogos, 14 November 2018 (in Greek)
- Installer of technical systems of buildings, Business in Cyprus, Government of Cyprus
- Climate and weather, Visit Cyprus, Deputy Ministry of Tourism
- Electricity used for the same heat: TrustedTradesCyprus calculation, dividing the heat needed by the efficiency assumed
Find someone to service or fit your heating
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