If you're rich, love a bandwagon and your house is bubble wrapped...you're a heat pump customer.
The UK Government is firmly committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Given that home heating is responsible for approximately 14% of the nation's carbon emissions, significant changes in this sector are essential and imminent.
The expectation is that a majority of properties will eventually shift to using heat pumps, while a smaller segment may depend on communal heat networks. This transition is a cornerstone of the government's strategy to reduce carbon emissions from domestic heating.
Despite this, the adoption of heat pumps has sparked considerable debate, particularly concerning their cost, installation expenses, and effectiveness in the UK's specific climate conditions.
To alleviate some of these concerns, the UK Government has introduced the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. This initiative offers a subsidy of up to £7,500 to eligible households to help cover the costs associated with transitioning to a heat pump.
However, a pressing question for many homeowners remains: Is a heat pump the right choice for your specific home?
This decision involves considering factors such as insulation, property size, and local climate conditions, making it a significant and personalised consideration for each household.
Ready to make your home more energy-efficient and cut down on your heating bills? Get a heat pump quote today from our trusted partners at Heat Geek here.
How To Check If Your Home Is Suitable For A Heat Pump
The reality is that most properties in the UK can make use of a heat pump of some variety including a standard low-temperature heat pump, a high-temperature heat pump or a hybrid heat pump.
The one that is most suitable for you will depend on the following factors:
The age of the property
How well the property is insulated - with particular attention to wall and roof insulation
If making any insulation or radiator upgrades is required and feasible
The size of the property e.g. number of bedrooms
Available space to house the unit
The property's Energy Performace Certificate (EPC)
How well is your home insulated?
Home insulation helps to restrict the transfer of heat from the inside of your home to the outside, ensuring that the heat in your home stays there for longer.
Since standard heat pumps operate at a lower temperature than standard gas boilers (45degC or less), having your home's insulation improved or fitting larger radiators may be required.
A large proportion of UK homes are older and were built before modern insulation standards were introduced. These older homes often lack adequate insulation, leading to higher energy usage and costs.
Sometimes, the extent to which these older properties can be improved may be limited, in which case the Committee for Climate Change has recommended high-temperature (HT) heat pumps as a viable option for many households where low-temperature heat pumps are not practical.
Which Type Of Heat Pump Is Most Suitable For My Home?
If your home is well insulated e.g. it has cavity wall insulation and roof insulation, as well as double glazing and any required radiator upgrades can be made, then it's likely that a standard low-temperature heat pump will be adequate for heating your home.
However, if your home is not adequatly insulated or you live in older property where insulation or radiator upgrades wouldn't be feasible, then a high temperature heat pump may be better alternative.
This is because high-temperature heat pumps are able to produce much higher temperatures than standard heat pumps, as high as 70 degrees vs 45 degrees, making them more appropriate for homes with poor insulation that would struggle to retain the heat produced by a regular heat pump long enough for you to feel the benefit.
For those properties where a high-temperature heat pump would still not be adequate or they simply have personal reservations, then the third option is a hybrid heat pump or system.
Essentially, a hybrid heating system is comprised of a traditional heating boiler, powered by natural gas, oil or LPG combined with a renewable technology such as an air or ground source heat pump.
Are They All Eligible For A Grant?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) offers substantial subsidies towards the cost of installing a heat pump, potentially covering up to £7,500 of the total expense.
Eligibility for the scheme hinges on specific criteria, including the requirement that your property has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and is free of any outstanding recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation, unless exempt.
In homes lacking adequate insulation, a high-temperature heat pump might be recommended. However, opting for this type of pump could render you ineligible for BUS funding.
Furthermore, if it's determined that the operational costs of running a heat pump to adequately heat your home are impractical, a hybrid heating system might be proposed.
It's important to note, though, that the BUS currently does not provide grants for hybrid systems, such as those combining an air source heat pump with a traditional gas boiler.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, known as BUS launched on April the 1st 2022 and is administered by the energy regulator OFGEM.
The scheme was launched to help subside the following:
£7,500 towards the cost of air source heat pumps and biomass boilers.
£7,500 for ground source heat pumps.
£5,000 for biomass boilers.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme Eligibility Criteria:
To be approved for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), you must meet certain criteria, which include the following:
Installers must be MCS accredited.
Air-source heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps or biomass boilers must replace a fossil-fuelled system.
There is a 45 kwh total capacity limit.
Heat pumps must have a minimum seasonal coefficient of performance of 2.8.
Biomass boilers must have an emissions certificate.
Biomass boilers can only be installed in rural areas and in properties not fuelled by mains gas.
Heat pumps and biomass boilers must meet approved standards outlined by the secretary of state.
Domestic and non-domestic buildings are eligible including custom builds.
The EPC must be valid (no longer than 10 years old) and have no recommendations to install cavity wall insulation unless exempt.
You can read our complete guide on the BUS here.
Heat Pump Suitability FAQS
How much do heat pumps cost to run?
The average household will find that with an air source heat pump, you’ll be looking at an annual bill of around £1,360 in terms of running costs - this is compared to £1,250 to run a gas boiler.
This was derived from the following assumptions:
The average UK household uses 12,000 kWh for heating annually.
The average heat pump has an efficiency rating of 300%.
The current cost of electricity is 34p per kWh vs 10.3p for a kWh of gas - i.e. electricity costs 3x more than gas.
Therefore, based on the above figures, you can assume that you would require 4,000 kWh of electricity to produce the required 12,000 kWh of heating a year.
This is because heat pumps are around 300% efficient meaning for every 1kWh of electricity used, it will generate 3 times as much heat.
However, since the cost of electricity is 3x that of gas, it still means that a heat pump will cost more to run at present.
Please note that this is just an average with costs varying depending on many factors, even beyond the price of electricity and how hard your heat pump has been training to run.
More heat pump guides:
Get Quotes for a Hybrid Heat Pump
Without boasting, get your new hybrid heat pump or boiler quote and buy from us, here’s why:
Gas Safe installation within 24 hours.
10’s of thousands of happy customers – an average score of 4.9 on Trustpilot (that’s better than the market leader).
Price match guarantee – if you find a cheaper quote, we will match (must be like for like).
Which? Trusted Traders
Multiple payment options - interest-free available.
10-year guarantee.
Fixed price guarantee – no hidden costs.
Save your quote until later.
Use this clickable form to get a fixed price on the screen instantly.
