All Things Heat Pump!

As pressure to take action on climate change increases, the UK government is holding steadfast on their target to be Net Zero by 2050. In order to achieve this, with domestic properties accounting for 19% of carbon emissions and 30% of energy usage, domestic heating and the use of heat pumps has been at the forefront of the strategy.

A heat pump is a far more complex piece of equipment than a boiler, however, its purpose is the same. In simple terms, it works by absorbing thermal energy from the air or from underground which is then transferred to a heating element and then on to the home’s heating and hot water systems. In the past, heat pumps have come with some down falls. For instance, being a fairly new piece of technology, heat pumps’ initial costs were far greater than boilers. This is still the case, although this is diminishing as time goes on and they become a more established piece of machinery. They also work significantly better when paired with a well-insulated home. Therefore, older properties may struggle to see the benefits. However, having a home that loses heat easily will be costing you dearly in terms of heating bills. Therefore, investing in insulation improvements will save you in the long run as well as help the environment.

Despite the mentioned possible disadvantages to heat pumps, they also boast a number of benefits, such as 0% energy loss and 350% energy efficiency compared to 25-50% energy loss and 50-75% energy efficiency of the traditional boiler. This makes heat pumps look like the obvious choice for a more eco-friendly future. This incredible efficiency makes them a great way to reduce energy bills and reduce carbon emissions immensely, so although the initial cost is greater than a boiler, the running costs are far lower.

Future emission targets for domestic homes is expected to be 75-85% lower than current rates. Therefore, vast changes need to be made for this to become a reality. This is why the government's strategy involves encouraging the use of heat pump technology via incentives and an eventual ban on boilers.

Out of the £3.9 billion funding set aside by the government for decarbonising the heating of buildings, £450 million is to be used for government grants for heat pump installations as part of the Boiler upgrade scheme. Grants of £5000 with be available by April of this year to encourage homeowners to make the switch. But fear not, no one will be made to replace their working boiler. This scheme is a fair way to encourage homeowners to make the switch to heat pumps in a more cost effective way. Either by installing them in new build properties or as a replacement for your old boiler when needed.

However, the firm target of the strategy, to increase the use of heat pumps, is on new build projects. This is because the combined benefits of building the heat pump in from the start as well as the high standards and insulation efficiency of new builds make them a perfect candidate for this method of heating.

There are a few myths that may still put you off heat pumps, despite the £5000 grant, but these are mainly just that… myths. For instance, a common worry is that a beautiful new build will be ruined by a noisy heat pump. In fact, they are about as loud as a fridge. Another worry is whether they will work when the temperature drops. Infact, they perform well in cold temperatures. Underground temperatures stay fairly constant and thus ground source heat pumps are largely unaffected by above ground temperature fluctuations. Air source pumps do reduce in efficiency as air temperature drops, however, they can still work in temperatures as low as -15^OC.

The wonderful thing about there being different kinds of heat pump is that they can suit almost any kind of property. From large houses with substantial gardens to high rise flats. Once installed you can watch your bills plummet and have peace of mind that you are doing your bit for the environment. After all, the government’s aim is to have around 600,000 heat pumps installed each year by 2028, so before you know it they will be everywhere. Why not get ahead of the curb and install yours now in your new build, or as soon as your boiler needs replaced in your current home.

To find out more or to get your heat pump future started, give us a call on 0191 265 4166.