Air source heat pumps have become an increasingly popular upgrade for homeowners all over Scotland. Their carbon friendly design has given them a major popularity boost as of recent as people attempt to find ways to cut down on their carbon footprint while still
In this article, we’ll talk about the kind of benefits you can reap by installing an air source heat pump. Not only will they help you to slash your carbon emissions – but keep your home, cut down on energy costs, and save you thousands of pounds in bills.
The Greener Energy Group has over 30 years of experience providing homeowners in Scotland with carbon friendly and green energy options.
Are air source heat pumps worth it?
If you are looking to save money, then yes; an air source heat pump will in general save about £2,827 over a traditional gas boiler.
There are several reasons for this; the massively rising costs of gas, the ban on gas boilers, the improved efficiency of heat pumps, the government upgrade scheme, and the fact that boilers need to be replaced around every 10 years (whereas modern air pumps last around 20 years).
We’ll look at these factors in greater detail.
Changing costs of energy
Gas Boilers are far more energy efficient than boilers, including modern boilers. A boiler is around 90% energy efficient – but an air source heat pump is 350% to 400% energy efficient – meaning it produces four times the energy it uses. This is an immense benefit, especially given that the price of gas has risen almost 80% this year alone (and is set to rise further). On the other hand, the costs of electricity are only decreasing, and given that air source heat pumps can produce so much more energy than they use, you are effectively guaranteed to get far more out of an air source heat pump than you put in. You can increase these savings further by going with solar panels – allowing you to supply carbon free power for your air source heat pump.
Gas boiler ban
The government has increasingly moved towards policies aimed at a gas boiler ban. While no date has been set yet, the government has consistently discussed the potential for a ban on gas boilers – or the installation of new gas boilers. While the specific date is not yet known, experts widely agree that the use of gas heating will eventually come. Of course, people can’t be left without heating, and the lead up to the ban has seen the implementation of government initiatives to help ease the transition.
Government grants and options
There are several grants and options existing to help people access air source heat pumps. This includes the Renewable Heat Incentive, which is specifically aimed at helping people get air pumps and other green energy options. The government will send you payments for seven years based on how much electricity your pump is set to produce. This is a superb option and can quickly help to recoup the costs of a heat pump installation.
The Renewable Heat Incentive is set to end in March 2022 and be replaced by the Boiler Upgrade scheme. This offers a subsidiary of £5,000 for an air source heat pump, which covers a significant amount of the cost.
The Greener Energy Group can help ensure you access these kinds of benefits.
This is not to mention the long-term benefits when it comes to costs; gas boilers over 20 years will cost you around £17,700 whereas an air source heat pump will cost only £14,900 – providing a saving of nearly £2,800. Likewise, heat pumps only need to be replaced every 20 years – unlike boilers which should be replaced every 10. This alone provides serious savings – since a new boiler will average around £3,200.
Efficiency
People are eager to get the most out of their heating systems, and for those who are still using boilers, they’re finding themselves frustrated. Boilers can at best hit around 90% efficiency – which means the boiler produces 10% less energy than it uses.
Air source heat pumps on the other hand range from 350% energy efficient to 400% efficient – meaning they are always producing more energy than they use. This is because air source heat pumps do not convert energy – they transfer it. The only energy which air source heat pumps ‘use’ are electricity to power the pump, and if this electricity is drawn from solar panels or other green energy systems can be made 100% carbon friendly.
Quiet
Air source heat pumps are incredibly quiet and produce little noise – producing as much as a radiator does. This means they will create no annoying background noise or disturbance.