It’s no secret that we believe heat pumps are a present and future solution for sustainable and efficient home heating.
While the upfront cost of a heat pump is significantly higher than a traditional gas boiler, we’re big advocates of heat pumps offering significant advantages to homeowners in the long term. This is both from a cost and carbon-reduction perspective.
So, how do they work? Heat pumps leverage renewable energy from the outside air. The heat pump takes in heat from the ambient air temperature, with the heat then being absorbed by a liquid refrigerant inside the pump. This liquid is compressed and passes through a heat exchanger, where it is then converted to energy which provides heating and hot water to your home.
This nifty process results in a much lower carbon footprint compared to a conventional gas boiler. Additionally, due to their exceptional operating efficiency SCoP (seasonal coefficient of performance), heat pumps extract much more heat with less energy input than their gas counterparts.
But, there are some key considerations to make before you start your clean-heating journey.
Choosing a proven and accredited installer should be a top priority when installing a heat pump. It’s no surprise that the more skilled the engineers, the better the installation. For context, a gas boiler has an average SCoP of 0.85. With electricity currently at around 4 times more expensive than gas, this would mean that your heat pump would need a SCoP above 3.4 to begin saving you money on your bills. At the time of writing, the industry average SCoP of a heat pump is 2.9.
But, fear not. A high-quality installer will be able to get you closer to an SCoP of 4-4.5 which will help you save even more money on running costs. Ask the installers that you’re considering how their previous installations have performed and what sort of SCoPs they expect to achieve at your home, so you can rest assured you’re opting for quality above anything else.
So, whilst long-term energy-saving looks good, the higher upfront cost is still a notable barrier to opting for a heat pump in the short term. Fortunately, current Government incentives enhance the affordability of heat pumps.
Grant programs, such as the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) significantly reduce the upfront cost of installation, making them a much more viable option for homeowners who’re looking to go green. Current guidelines state that the BUS runs until 31st March 2027. This, coupled with the 0% VAT holiday on all the necessary energy-saving materials required for installation makes the next few years a great time to think about future-proofing your home.
At Guscott, we’re even finding that heat pump installations are coming in cheaper than a gas or oil system upgrade in around 50% of cases*, making the heat pump conversation one that is well worth having, even if it’s not yet on your radar.
We are confident that heat pumps can and will deliver cost savings compared to a gas boiler, but the decision is not black and white. It’s important that you make use of the installation grants available and choose a reputable installer who will optimise your system to run most efficiently over time. We trust that the cost of electricity is also set to fall over time thanks to a rebalancing of taxes and levies, making the savings from choosing a heat pump even greater.
If you’d like to explore a heat pump for your home, our friendly team are on hand to provide you with all the answers you need.
Looking for a free estimate? Simply provide us with a few details about you and your property by clicking here. It only takes 2 minutes!
