HEAT PUMP ADVANTAGES
Heat pumps are the next generation of heating, bringing you superior efficiency, lower energy bills, and a lower carbon footprint. Find out the advantages of heat pumps below.
CORE HEAT PUMP ADVANTAGES
Energy Efficiency
Air source heat pumps (ASHPs) can be very efficient. They work by extracting heat from the outdoor air, even in cold weather, and transferring it indoors. This process requires much less energy compared to generating heat from scratch, as with conventional furnaces or electric heaters. At 35°C, the heating efficiency of an Adlår heat pump is 489%, which compared to the efficiency of an existing boiler of rough ~80% is a massive difference.
Cost Savings
You can get savings on energy bills from your first day due to ASHPs energy efficiency,
All potential savings in regard to energy bills are specific to each household and can vary however. Households using solar energy or bigger and well-insulated properties could benefit from larger savings on their energy bills in comparison to smaller and poorly insulated properties with high energy usage.
Eco-Friendly
ASHPs can mean a significant reduction in a household’s environmental impact. ASHPs work by extracting heat from the outdoor air, even in cold weather, and transferring it indoors. This process requires much less energy compared to generating heat from scratch, as with conventional furnaces or electric heaters.
Versatility
ASHPs provide both heating and cooling technology so they can be a versatile solution for year-round comfort. They can reverse their operation, extracting heat from the home and expelling it outside during the summer, therefore acting as an air conditioner too.
Indoor Air Quality
There is no onsite fuel burning inside a home with the use of an ASHP. They minimise the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning or gas leaks. Additionally, they don’t involve combustion processes that could potentially degrade indoor air quality, ensuring a safer and healthier environment for families.
Long lifespan
With proper maintenance and care, ASHPs can have a long lifespan. They have fewer moving parts than a boiler so their risk of mechanical failure can be lower on average, and it also means maintenance costs can be less.
FIND OUT IF IT'S RIGHT FOR YOUR PROPERTY:
MARKET LEADING INFORMATION
We run your data through a heat loss and energy usage simulation based on your provided data and the EPC database.
What’s provided in my report:
- Fixed price quote
- Heat loss survey
- Savings estimates
- Environment and emissions impact
- Heat loss and usage estimate
- Sound/Noise report
- Payback simulations
- Lifetime comparison
- Economy7 tariff review
Struggling to fill it out? No problem, we have you sorted, we can guide you through it on the phone also. Call 01252 268 669 or fill out your information here.
Heat Pump Concerns
This just isn’t the case with modern units. There are now strict regulations on how loud this can be (around 40 – 60 decibels within one metre). Our heat pump is only 42bd from 1m.
That’s roughly the same as a fridge freezer or a gas boiler and because they’re outside, the noise will rarely be heard. Our site survey includes a noise check to ensure this.
Read more in our Knowledge Hub page on this topic.
Before installation we do a thorough home survey to ensure the heat pump system we install is optimised for your space.
Unlike a gas boiler, where high bursts of energy are produced, rapidly heating, a heat pump is designed to stay on for longer without costing you more – keeping consistent temperature throughout the day. The rapid inefficient burst of burnt energy with a boiler verses the slow consistent operation of a heat pump is one of the core reasons for the massive difference in heat pump efficiency and cost savings.
Air source heat pumps can actually work in temperatures as low as -20 °C when properly installed. Norway, Sweden, and Finland have the highest heat pump adoption rates in Europe, and are equally some of the coldest countries.
When it gets very cold, the heat pump will need to use a bit more energy than usual to keep your home cosy, but as our heat pump is designed for Swedish winters, the UK’s milder climate means our heat pump has no problem keeping up.
Our heat pumps are also installed with outdoor temperature sensors and climate control systems, which can engage immersion heaters to boost hot water if in the rare case the heat pump isn’t efficiently getting your hot water up to the design flow temperature.
With the Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme £5,000 grant, you can get an ROI on your investment and saving on your gas bill quickly. We give you a detailed overview of your savings, and comparison to new and older gas boilers when you complete our online questionnaire.
A heat pump can last 20 years – about twice as long as a boiler – and they need less pricey maintenance.
Our installations include a 2, 5 or 7 year warranty depending on your service packages.
Learn about our industry leading maintenance packages here.
See our full article here
Being honest and critical a heat pump also has drawbacks, namely:
- The purchase: whichever heat pump you take the cost usually starts around £3000, and can be more expensive then replacing a gas boiler. Want to know more or prices? Read our article on the cost of a heat pump.
- The further investment: heat pumps work best in an insulated home, and for the best home performance, are best coupled with underfloor heating and
- There is no place for your heat pump. Adlår is specialised in roof and wall mount installations, but there are rare cases where installing a heat pump isn’t possible due to outdoor space limitations.
- The sound of a heat pump. A heat pump always makes noise, we address these concerns above but they can never be no noise. Find out more in our article on heat pump noise.
FULL KNOWLEDGE HUB ARTICLE | HEAT PUMP ADVANTAGES
Energy efficiency: COP/SCOP & Consumption
To heat your home, your heat pump needs energy. Simply put, the heat pump needs to be able to heat the air or water coming into the pump and this process requires energy. The amount of power needed depends on which heat pump you have and what needs to be heated.
The COP, or Coefficient Of Performance, indicates the efficiency of a heat pump or other appliance. The higher the COP value, the higher the efficiency and the more economical the appliance is.
The formula for determining COP is simple:
Example COP value calculation
A heat pump that produces 4 kW of heat with just 1 kW of electricity:
4 kW / 1 kW = COP value: 4
The SCOP value stands for Seasonal Coefficient of Performance and is the average COP viewed over a year, taking into account the different seasons. So this looks specifically at your region, averaging the COP values in your area over an entire year.
Our SCOP values are based on western European weather, and tested to this standard. The SCOP then indicates what the COP is when producing, say, 30°C water, 35°C, 40°C, 45°C, etc so you can easily compare whether the heat pump you have your eye on is above or below average.
Heat pump efficiency vs. boiler
The average COP value should be between 4 and 6. So this means that when you lose 1 kW of energy you get 4 to 6 kW of heat in return. This is an efficiency of 400% to 600%!
When we look at a brand new gas boiler, the efficiency is roughly 90%, for a 5-10 year old boiler the efficiency would be worse, closer to roughly 80%. The efficiency is a lot lower.
Understand more in our Knowledge Hub Article on how heat pumps work.
Heat pump consumption new construction vs existing construction
New-build homes are more efficient with a heat pump. This is because new-build homes are better insulated than existing homes that are more than 20 years old. It is also true that new-build homes have solar panels that generate their own electricity. As a result, you can often have little energy costs with a newly built house combined with a heat pump.
With an existing home, we find monthly costs are higher.
Want to know more about costs? Read our article on savings and costs.
Get an estimate of your homes specific costs and savings by filling out our questionnaire.
Seasonal consumption: heat pump consumption up in winter
The heat pump has to work a bit harder in winter than in summer. In summer, you don’t need energy to heat your home because this can be done by the sun, but unfortunately it is a lot colder outside in winter. Therefore, you need the heat pump more to heat your home, increasing its consumption. In the table above, you can see the consumption per year, with most of it occurring in the autumn and winter months.
COP value Aurora II: 5
When you choose an Aurora || the COP value is around 5, with the SCOP value being around 4.8. So a perfect choice as your new heat pump! Want to know more about the Aurora ||? Our specialists will gladly answer all your questions. Fill in our free advice form and we will contact you soon.
SAVINGS OVerview: Different PUMPS
Unfortunately, it is difficult to say how much you will actually spend on buying and maintaining your heat pump, as it really depends on which one is best for your home. Therefore, get good advice while buying a heat pump, as not every pump is suitable for every home! Below though is an overview with an indication price for heat pumps including their installation.
EVEN BETTER?
Get a specific overview of your unique circumstances by filling out our questionnaire.
| Type of heat pump | Amount incl. installation |
|---|---|
| Hybrid heat pump (excl. boiler) | £6,500 to £12,000 |
| Air-water heat pump | £9,000 to £15,000 |
| Water-water heat pump | £12,000 to £18,000 |
| Ground-water heat pump | £14,000 to £22,500 |
Important: when buying a heat pump in most circumstances you would be eligible for the governments Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) of £5,000.
The investment of the Aurora || by Adlår Castra
What the investment for your Aurora || will be depends on how many kW you need to heat your home.
Would you like to know more about the Aurora ||? Our specialists will answer all your questions. Fill in our free advice form and we will contact you soon!
INCREASED PROPERTY VALUE:
Adlår’s heat pumps can facilitate cooling, your property value could increase by as much as 2.5%. Read our full article on cooling here.
…
A WWF report, in conjunction with Scottish Power (Better Homes, Cooler Planet) has shown a heat pump could add between 1.7% and 3.0% to the value of your home, or £5,015 (1.7%) to £8,850 (3.0%) based on the Office for National Statistics UK average house price of £295,000 in November 2022.
The Better Homes, Cooler Planet report also estimated that by installing a heat pump in your home you could reduce your heating costs by around 37%. or £1,290.90 on average.
The report also highlighted a heat pump outperforming other forms of renewables, such as electric vehicle charging or solar panels.
…
According to Knight Frank’s Property Market Insights, improving your EPC rating can improve your home value by a further 20%.
| Power | Amount incl. subsidy | Amount excl. subsidy |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora || 6 kWh | £3.799,- | £8.799,- |
| Aurora || 10 kWh | £5.699,- | £10.699,- |
| Aurora || 14 kWh | £6.249,- | £11.249,- |
What is the payback period of a heat pump?
The payback period also depends on which heat pump you have, the gas consumption you would have if you didn’t have a heat pump and the energy costs. Once you have all this mapped out, you can do a calculation on this. Adlår’s quick savings questionnaire can give you a good idea of your homes specific situation.
GET A QUICK OVERVIEW OF YOUR COSTS AND SAVINGS
Example payback period heat pump calculation with 2022 ENERGY PRICE
2022 Key Data:
- Electric/kWh: £0.67
- Gas/kWh: £0.17
- Standing Day Rate Gas: £0.28/day
Example Data:
- Design Flow Temperature: 35°C (underfloor heating)
- Floor Space: 128m²
- Total Energy Consumption/year: 20,748 kWh
Calculations:
- Aurora II Energy Cost: £3,498.90
- Old Gas Boiler Cost: £4,522.00
- Full Electric Savings: £102.20 (£0.28*365)
- AURORA II Purchase Price: £3,800.00
Savings:
- Energy Saving/year: £1,125.26
- Payback Period: 3.38 years
EXAMPLE PAYBACK PERIOD HEAT PUMP CALCULATION WITH 2023 ENERGY PRICE
2023 Key Data:
- Electric/kWh: £0.30
- Gas/kWh: £0.08
- Standing Day Rate Gas: £0.29/day
Example Data:
- Design Flow Temperature: 35°C (underfloor heating)
- Floor Space: 128m²
- Total Energy Consumption/year: 20,748 kWh
Calculations:
- Aurora II Energy Cost: £1,628.96
- Old Gas Boiler Cost: £2,128.00
- Full Electric Savings: £109.50 (£0.29*365)
- AURORA II Purchase Price: £3,800.00
Savings:
- Energy Saving/year: £608.54
- Payback Period: 6.24 years
What this shows is that heat pumps save you a lot more as energy prices fluctuate up. We recommend you look at energy price trends to inform your decisions, but at Adlår we don’t see energy prices raising as a general trend and consequence of the global economic climate. This makes getting a heat pump now, even more advantageous.
Comparison:
- 2022 Savings: £1,125.26
- 2023 Savings: £608.54
- Percentage increase in gas price: +113%
- Percentage increase in electric price: +123%
- Percentage increase in savings: +85%
Want to know more about consumption? Then also read our article on the consumption and efficiency of a heat pump.