Are you considering a hybrid heating system? Check out the types, pros, cons and costs in our expert guide.
Thinking of installing a hybrid heating system set up in your home?
In the following guide, we’ll explain exactly what hybrid heating systems are, how they work and the benefits they offer, as well as potential drawbacks.
But, without further ado, let’s explain what a hybrid heating system is…
PS. We fit hybrid heat pumps with installation nationwide. Simply answer these questions, get your fixed price and you could get it installed as quick as tomorrow.
What is a Hybrid Heating System?
Ultimately, a hybrid heating system involves combining 2+ means of generating heat as a way to warm the home and produce hot water for the home.
As you might gather there are many ways of creating hybrid heating systems.
In most cases, a hybrid heating system is created by combining a heat pump with a gas or oil boiler. In other cases, a gas or oil boiler might be combined with a collection of solar panels.
If you take a boiler, and a heat pump, and combine them. You've got yourself a hybrid. Sort of.
Either way, you would be mixing a green renewable energy source with a conventional part of a heating system.
A heat exchanger would be a key element of this hybrid system such that it would convert heated energy or air sourced from outside into usable heat for your home.
The renewable element of a hybrid heating system (the heat pump or solar panels) would complement your gas or oil boiler such that you could generate heat or hot water from your home using both methods.
Check out our complete guide to hybrid heat pumps or watch our UK case study in the video below:
There are various benefits to having a hybrid system installed, which we’ll look at in more detail shortly.
First, let’s discuss the various types of hybrid heating systems in more detail…
Types of Hybrid Heating Systems
As mentioned, there are various ways of making a hybrid heating system.
Let’s look at these options in more detail and discuss their pros and cons.
Gas or Oil Boiler with a Ground Source Heat Pump
There are two primary types of heat pumps, ground source and air source.
First, we’ll look at a hybrid heating system that combines a gas/oil boiler with a ground source heat pump.
Ground source heat pumps can harness heat from the ground naturally. The pump churns water through pipes in order to achieve this.
The more modern types of ground source heat pump hybrid heating systems would come with a control system.
This would give you control over the internal room temperature and even access to an external weather sensor.
A modern system would also be internet-enabled. The same would apply to the next two options.
More heat pump guides:
Gas or Oil Boiler with an Air Source Heat Pump
An alternative choice is to have your hybrid heating system powered with an air-source heat pump rather than a pump that sources its heat from the ground.
Put simply, an air source heat pump absorbs heat from the outdoors and transfers it to the inside of your home.
Air-source heat pumps are easier to fit than ground-source heat pumps and can be installed faster. Air source heat pumps tend to be less expensive too.
However, the benefits of choosing a ground source heat pump include that they tend to offer greater efficiency and a higher ‘renewable heating incentive’ or RHI payback.
Notes on the RHI Payment: This is now closed and has been replaced by the Gas Boiler Upgrade Scheme, but it was an incentive that some homeowners will be eligible for.
Those who use the RHI payment will be given a tariff payment each quarter for each kWh of renewable heat they generate in their home.
In most cases, these payments will last for several years.
Watch Our Air Source Heat Pump UK Case Study in the video below:
Gas or Oil Boiler with a Collection of Solar Panels
Another way of generating heat/power for your home along with your gas or oil boiler would be by combining your boiler with various solar panels.
Solar panels can be expensive to install but could save you plenty on your heating bills in the long term.
Of course, solar won’t work as well on cloudy days so can be a bit fickle than the prior alternatives.
Benefits of Hybrid Heating Systems
There are a whole host of advantages to using hybrid heating systems. Let’s look at these benefits in more detail.
Reducing Heating Bills
The first notable benefit you can get from having a hybrid heating system installed is that it can lower your heating bills.
With a pump or solar panels, you will have a renewable source of heating to go with your gas or oil boiler.
The result is less to spend on your gas or oil boiler bills and overall reduced heating bills.
Lowers Your Carbon Footprint
With reduced boiler bills, you also get a lower carbon footprint.
This means you are doing less harm to the environment and making your home a bit more eco-friendly. It is a real tangible step toward making a much more eco-friendly home.
RHI Scheme
The Renewable Heat Incentive means that you can receive payments over a several-year period for having a renewable heating system in your home.
This could mean having a hybrid heating system that utilises a heat pump or employs solar panels.
Learn all about hybrid heat pump/boilers in our video tutorial below:
More heat pump guides:
Can Add Value to Your Home
A hybrid heating system can increase the resale value of a property.
Since most homes would not have such a system and particularly since they can reduce energy bills, this would up the value of your home by a bit.
Reside in the UK and wondering if a heat pump is right for you. Check out our complete analysis: Are heat pumps worth it?
Hybrid Heating System: Verdict
Having a hybrid heating system installed can be a great way of improving the energy efficiency of your home, lowering your energy bills and reducing your carbon footprint.
Since there are many types of hybrid systems available, it’s important to give them some thought before deciding which one is best for you.
Don’t forget to look into the RHI scheme to see whether you may prove eligible.
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