Government plans to limit noise nuisance from heat pumps could make them too expensive for many consumers, according to one expert.

Frank Agterberg, chairman of the Dutch Heat Pump Association, told the AD that if neighbour noise is limited to 40 decibels at the boundary of properties, this will be ‘an enormous extra barrier’ for people who want to get rid of their gas boilers.

The Dutch government is discussing noise norms after concerns about the nuisance factor of neighbours with climate-friendly heat pumps (or less friendly air conditioning units) outside. New rules would mean outside units would need to be boxed in and insulated.

However the noise nuisance advisory body the Nederlandse Stichting Geluidshinder told the AD that a 40 decibel limit was too low. ‘If your neighbour’s installation is near your bedroom window and you sleep with the window open, it could still cause nuisance,’ said director Erik Roelofsen. ‘My advice is to talk to your neighbours about whether a device can be put there.’

Removing gas central heating is an element of government plans to limit climate change, and reduce the country’s dependency on gas as damaging extraction from the Groningen field comes to a halt.