Heat pumps are the hottest new thing in Green Energy heating.
Are they the right choice?
We know for sure they will help contribute to the UK reaching its Net Zero targets.
What are air source heat pumps and how do they work!
Air source heat pumps are an excellent piece of kit and a new type of low-carbon heating in the UK!
They have superior technology inside that extracts the heat from the air outside – even
during the winter!!!! – Then uses it to keep things lovely and toasty inside your home, just like a boiler does!
A heat pump works differently to a gas, oil or LPG boiler does. It uses the heat found in the
air outside air of your home – plus a small amount of electricity – This is then converted to
supply your home with all the heating and hot water it needs, all year round!
When it’s installed in an energy-efficient and well insulated house, an air source heat pump
is up to 500% efficient compared to a normal gas boiler which is roughly 60-90% efficient.
Air source heat pumps are an environmentally friendly approach to a gas-powered boiler.
That’s excellent news for your carbon footprint on the environment – and for the UK’s
continued progress to Net Zero.
So what government grants are available to help with the cost of installation?
Replacing gas boilers with greener, cleaner alternatives is the drive forward of the UK’s plans to reach Net Zero by 2050.
So the government is offering to help people who want to make the switch to greener heating today!
Air Source and Ground Source explained
There are two main types of heat pump. They work in a similar way, but they extract their
heat from a different source – either the air or the ground.
Air source heat pumps
Cheaper and easier to install than ground source heat pumps
Slightly higher running costs
The heat pump unit is quite small
Can work in temperatures as low as -25°C
Can require planning permission on some occasions
Last for around 20-25 years.
Ground source heat pumps
More expensive and more labour intensive to install than air source heat pumps
Lower running costs overall (annually)
Need to dig up large outdoor area (e.g. garden) to lay pipework or bore hole to depth of up
to 120m down!
More efficient in lower temperatures
No need for planning permission, alhough land surveys are most probably needed
Last for around 20-25 years.
Hybrid heat pumps
These are air source or ground source heat pumps, but with a backup gas, oil or LPG boiler that kicks in when extra
heat is needed during colder weather!
No grants are available for this type of installation.
More expensive the air source heat pumps alone
Youll still have a fossil fuel being burnt so your still not fossil free!
Whichever type you go for, you’ll be heating your home more sustainably than with a traditional gas boiler.
In fact, if your electricity is zero carbon, you’ll be heating your home without creating any CO2 emissions at all.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme or BUS Scheme
The BUS scheme is the current scheme, which is due to run until April 2024.
We apply for a £5000 government grant on your behalf to help with the cost of going greener.
The money is taken off your bill/invoice at the start of the job, so you don’t have to do anything. We do it all for you.
This is the new scheme (previously known as the Clean Heat Grant) which will come into effect from April 2022.
This is to help with the initial cost of upgrading from a fossil fuel boiler to a low-carbon alternative, like an air source heat pump.
