The boiler is the most discreet appliance in the house, until the day it leaks or stops heating. The question follows immediately: replace it like for like, or switch to a heat pump water heater? In 2026 the answer clearly leans one way, both for running costs and because Swiss cantonal rules push in that direction.
The principle: a small heat pump dedicated to hot water
A heat pump water heater (also called a thermodynamic water heater) is a hot water tank topped with a small air-water heat pump. Instead of heating water directly with an electric element, it extracts heat from the surrounding air (cellar, laundry room) or from outside air through a duct.
The result fits in one number: a coefficient of performance around 3. For every kWh of electricity consumed, about 3 kWh of heat reach the water. A classic electric boiler works 1 to 1.
Prices in 2026
Unit alone. CHF 2,500 to 4,500 depending on capacity (200 to 300 litres for a house) and brand.
Installed, all included. CHF 4,000 to 7,000: removal and disposal of the old boiler, installation, hydraulic and electrical connections, commissioning. Swapping an existing boiler takes one day: hot water off in the morning, back in the evening.
What changes on the bill
For a family of four, hot water represents about 3,000 to 4,000 kWh per year with an electric boiler. A heat pump water heater brings this down to 800 to 1,300 kWh, saving roughly CHF 600 to 900 per year. The extra cost over an electric replacement typically pays back in 4 to 7 years, on a unit that lasts 15 years or more.
Regulation pushes the same way
A point often discovered at breakdown time: several cantons restrict like-for-like replacement of central electric water heaters, in line with the intercantonal energy model regulations. Depending on the canton and the building, replacing an electric water heater with another electric one is no longer allowed, or only by exemption. The heat pump water heater is the intended alternative: same footprint, same electrical connection, a third of the consumption.
The winning duo with solar panels
If your roof produces solar electricity, the heat pump water heater becomes a cheap energy store: programmed to heat at midday, it absorbs the solar surplus and gives it back in the evening as hot water. It is the first step of self-consumption optimisation, before any battery. Our article on solar with or without a battery covers that trade-off.
Choosing well
Capacity. About 50 litres per person per day: 150 to 200 litres for 2 people, 200 to 300 litres for a family. Larger buildings use 500 to 3,000 litre units or cascades, sized on the real draw profile.
Air source. Room air if the room exceeds 20 m³ and stays above 5°C year round; an outside duct otherwise.
Noise. 45 to 55 dB(A) at 1 metre, like a washing machine. Fine in a cellar, avoid against a bedroom wall.
Limescale. Swiss water is often hard; periodic descaling every 3 to 5 years preserves efficiency and lifespan.
Our advice for 2026
Do not wait for the breakdown. An electric boiler lives 15 to 20 years; if yours is approaching that age, planning the replacement calmly lets you choose the right capacity, check subsidies and schedule a one-day swap at your convenience. An emergency replacement on a Saturday almost always ends in a like-for-like swap, meaning 15 more years of overconsumption.
Is your boiler getting old? See our heat pump water heater service, one-day replacement across French-speaking Switzerland, or start your free personalised study: we size the capacity, check the room and the subsidies at your address.
