31 October 2024
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Joanna O’Loan, Knowledge Manager at the Energy Saving Trust, shares some interesting facts about what to consider before installing a heat pump in your home, including whether it will save on energy bills and if it should be left on 24/7.
What do I need to be aware of before installing a Heat Pump in my Home?
Joanna said: “When installing a heat pump for the first time, you can usually stay in your home while the work is being done. You will be without heating for a couple of days but your installers should be able to lend you temporary heaters if needed.
“Installers will fit an external unit in a suitable location, and provide you with a new hot water cylinder, additional pipework, new controls, and possibly new radiators. This process usually takes around three days although it can take longer if your plumbing requirements are more complex. If you’re installing a ground source heat pump or underfloor heating, expect more disruption compared to a standard air source system.
“There’s a high demand for heat pumps right now so be aware that it could be weeks or months before your installation can go ahead and we advise starting the process as early as you can.”
Will a Heat Pump save on my energy bills?
Joanna explained that whether you save money on your energy bills by installing a heat pump will largely depends on what heating system you’re replacing and what happens to energy prices in the future.
She said: “Heat pumps are powered by electricity and heat your radiators and hot water using energy from the air outside, not directly from the electricity. This makes them much more efficient than gas or oil boilers. Typical installations achieve over 300% efficiency, compared to around 85% for a gas boiler.
“However, under Ofgem’s current energy price cap, electricity is about four times the price of gas per unit. This means the running costs are roughly equal, with an estimated additional cost of about £3 per year to run a heat pump instead of a gas boiler in a typical three bedroom, semi-detached home.
“If your gas or oil boiler is older and inefficient and you install a very efficient heat pump system, removing your gas meter and associated standing charges, the heat pump could be significantly cheaper to run. If you have solar panels powering your heat pump part of the time, you will further reduce the running costs. If electricity and gas prices were to change, with electricity becoming closer in price to gas, heat pumps could become cheaper to run.
“A heat pump is likely to be cheaper to run if you’re replacing other fuel types, like oil or LPG.
“In all cases, a heat pump dramatically reduces the carbon impact of your home heating, which is a major reason many people are installing them today.”
Should you leave your heat pump on 24/7?
“In the UK, we typically turn our gas central heating systems on in the morning, off when we go to work and back on in the evening when we return home. However, modern heating controls give you more flexibility allowing you to lower the temperature by a few degrees during certain periods of the day.
“This approach, known as a ‘set-back’, is particularly useful for managing heat pumps. They are more efficient when operating steadily at a lower temperature rather than at maximum output. If you’re out during the day, you should leave the heating on but at a reduced temperature. This provides the right balance between heating your home and maximising your heat pump’s efficiency.
“You can use the same approach at night but you may choose a lower set-back temperature to minimise running time while the outside temperature is at its lowest,” said Joanna.
For more information on heat pumps, visit the Energy Saving Trust website: energysavingtrust.org.uk/heat-pumps”
