There seems to be a reluctance for people to install heat pumps even though there is a generous grant of £7500 to help with installation costs. The government’s target to install 600,000 per year has been woefully missed with only 72,000 installed in 2022.
Recent surveys show that only 16% of people are likely to install a heat pump in the foreseeable future. Part of the reason for the low uptake is misinformation in some sections of the media. The cost of fitting an ASHP to a 3 bedroom property is about £12,500, but the actual cost becomes £5,000 when the grant is taken into account, this is comparable to fitting a new gas boiler.
Fear of the unknown!
Many people are unsure about heat pump technology, even though virtually the same technology has been used in fridges for over 100 years. Other concerns are about noise, where to place the heat pump, the potential need for larger radiators in the home. Heat pumps run off electricity, which is expensive when compared to gas – sooner the government stops using electricity prices to subsidise gas prices the better it will be for the uptake of heat pumps.
Of course, not many people are going to remove an operational gas boiler just to have a heat pump installed, although that is exactly what I did just over a year ago.
Why install a Heat Pump?
I decided to install an air source heat pump, solar PV and battery storage in order to make my home carbon free in terms of its energy supply. Virtually everyone is going to have to have a carbon free energy source by 2050. The sooner we do it the better if we are to restrict climate change to manageable levels.
How does an Air Source Heat Pump work?
• Electrical energy is used to operate the air source heat pump
• Air is drawn into the pump and energy is removed from air which makes it colder
• The energy extracted from the air is passed on by the heat pump to heat the domestic hot water or heat the home via radiators.
Magic, well not really!
Because the energy taken from the outside air is free the system works very effectively.
If the heat pump uses 1 Unit of electricity from the grid it can provide 3 Units of energy to the home.
The energy I purchase to run the heat pump is from carbon free sources, hence no carbon is emitted in providing energy to my home.
Things to consider!
• The heat pump needs to be placed outside with unrestricted air flow around it.
• The pump can’t be placed within 1 metre of a property boundary.
• The pump needs to be as close as possible to the hot water tank so as to reduce heat losses.
• The system stores hot water rather than producing it on demand
• The heat pump can’t have a volume greater than 0.6 m³ due to current planning regulations. Most companies design their domestic heat pumps to be just less than 0.6m³
• Central heating radiators will potentially need to be replaced with ones that have a larger surface area, this is relatively easy to do.
• The heat pump makes very little noise and can’t be heard inside the house.
• Currently most heat pump systems are ‘low temperature’ in that the radiators do not get very hot as they would with a gas boiler. This means that rooms take longer to heat up.
• Heat pumps work best in well insulated houses (as do gas boilers).
Does it work and at what cost to maintain?
Yes it works. My heat pump provides both hot water and heating throughout the year and there have been no problems. Maintenance is done via an annual service which costs £112 /year.
Over the past year, 2024, the heat pump took 2700 Units of electricity (kWh) to run. But because the heat pump captures free energy from the outside air, the total energy output I got from the system was 6750 kWh –(this figure was somewhat disappointing as expectations were for 8100 kWh- the system has now been recalibrated and hopefully next year the higher figure will be achieved).
Do the Maths.
• If I take 2700 Units from the grid and 1 Unit of electricity costs £0.25 then the cost of running the heat pump to provide household heating and hot water for a year is:
£0.25 x 2700 = £675
• The energy out of the heat pump system in terms of hot water and room heating is worth:£0.25 x 6750 = £1687 That is amazing!
How to find out about heat pumps?
• Check with your energy supplier, many now install heat pumps as part of their services.
• Costs will vary depending on the size of your property, the type of heat pump.
Free information session
There is a free session on Air Source Heat Pumps to be run by Eastbourne Eco Action Network and Energise Sussex Coast on Tuesday 28th January from 7-9pm, in the Willingdon Trees Community Centre. For more information, contact Eastbourne Eco Action Network.
See you there?
David Everson
Eastbourne Eco Action Network
Jan 2025