A blog by Good Energy.
Air source heat pumps have been in use for decades to heat homes and supply hot water. Rather than using gas, oil or LPG, like a traditional boiler, an air source heat pump transfers energy from the surrounding air into your home – even when it’s freezing cold outside.
With efficiency up to four times higher than a gas boiler, they provide a more energy efficient and greener way of powering your heating and hot water that can help to reduce energy bills and lower your home’s carbon footprint.
How do air source heat pumps work?
If you choose to install an air source heat pump to heat your home and hot water, nothing about the day-to-day way you heat your home will change.
You’ll enjoy the same convenience of turning on a tap to get hot water and turning your thermostat when you want to heat up your home. Behind the scenes however, they do work a bit differently to gas or oil boilers.
When you have a heat pump installed, a unit is fitted to the outside of your property, which draws air into the system. This air is used to turn a refrigerant inside the unit into vapour.
This vapour is compressed and produces heat as a result. The heat is then transferred to your home’s heating system, providing your home with heat and hot water, when you need it.
Heat pumps are so effective that heat can even be extracted from the air when temperatures fall below freezing – down to minus 15C, ensuring that even in the coldest conditions your home’s heating won’t let you down.
The heat pumps we offer at Good Energy are all powered using smart controls from a mobile smartphone, tablet or laptop. This gives you the freedom to control your home’s heating at the touch of the button, and manage your heating system remotely, meaning you can return to a warm house after a holiday.
What types of air source heat pumps are there?
There are two types of heat pumps to choose from: air-to-water heat pumps and air-to-air heat pumps.
What is an air-to-water heat pump?
Air-to-water heat pumps are the most common types of heat pumps in the UK, and they are the ones we install here at Good Energy. They transfer heat generated from the outside air into water, which passes around your home using its wet heating system. Air-to-water heat pumps can offer more energy efficiency than traditional boilers.
What is an air-to-air heat pump?
Air-to-air heat pumps depend on a warm air circulation system to distribute heat throughout your home. Unlike air-to-water heat pumps, air-to-air heat pumps only provide your home with heating and not hot water.
What are the benefits of air source heat pumps?
Installing an air source heat pump comes with several key benefits for your home, the environment and your energy bills:
Lower heating bills
Depending on your current heating source, an air source heat pump could save you significantly on your monthly energy bills. Find out more about how much you could save in our article.
Impressive energy efficiency
Heat pumps are an incredibly efficient way to heat your home – they generate 3.5 times more heat energy than they use to run. They’re also around 4 times more efficient than gas boilers, which typically turn only 90% of the energy they use into heat for your home.
Reduce your home’s carbon footprint
Moving away from fossil fuels could reduce your home’s carbon footprint by up to 65%.
They work well even incold temperatures
Air source heat pumps work effectively in temperatures down to -15°C to keep your home warm and comfortable.
Easy installation process
Air source heat pumps are easy to install. They don’t typically require planning permission or any additional work to your property such as digging a hole or requiring a fuel storage tank. However, if you live in a listed property or conservation area you should check with local planning authorities before installation.
Manage your usage with smart controls
Once connected to the internet, your air source heat pump can be controlled via an app giving you complete remote control over your heating and hot water.
How much do air source heat pumps cost?
Heat pump installation costs can vary – with the cost depending on the type of system you install, the size of your home, how well it is insulated as well as your energy usage. You may also need a new hot water tank and radiator upgrades as part of the installation. Prices start from £3,951 for a cleaner, greener way to heat your home.
Get a free online quote today to find out how much it could cost for you to upgrade to an air source heat pump.
What air source heat pump grants are available?
Households in England and Wales can get a government grant of £7,500 to reduce the cost of installing a heat pump through the boiler upgrade scheme. There are a few criteria you need to be eligible for this grant, including having no outstanding requirements for energy improvement on your EPC.
As a registered installer, Good Energy will apply for the grant on your behalf so that you don’t have to deal with deadlines or paperwork.
What savings on my bills could I expect?
Air source heat pump running costs and savings compared to other heating systems vary from property to property. Costs depend, among other things, on the price of the fuel you’re switching from, how efficient your old heating system was, the heat loss at your property, how much hot water you use and the temperature you’d like your heating to be.
However, according to our research,almost all households with suitable houses will end up saving money on their bills by switching to an air source heat pump.
Have a look at our cost comparisons here.
Is an air source heat pump suitable for my home?
If you’re interested in getting an air source heat pump installed, there’s a few key criteria you and your home should meet:
- You must be the homeowner (or have permission from the landlord)
- You live in a house or bungalow (not a flat or an apartment)
- You have an up-to-date EPC (Energy Performance Certificate), which you can find on the government’s directory.
If you’d like to learn more about air source heat pumps or are interested in getting a no-obligation quote, our heating experts are on hand and can help answer any questions you may have.
Please see the original article here.