Now is a good time to think about a heat pump

With the warm weather now is an excellent time to think about installing a heat pump, says Midlands green energy expert Ron Fox.

“Heat pumps are more efficient than traditional heaters like gas boilers and electric radiators,” said Ron, of Noreus Ltd on the University of Keele Science and Innovation Park. “They can save money for both businesses and homes on their annual heating bills as well as helping cut their carbon footprint. This is because they don’t use fossil fuels to heat the home or office.

“Even better, firms and residents can get a government grant of £7,500 towards a ground or an air source heat pump.” However, he pointed out that the system must meet certain standards, such as minimum efficiency levels, which the installer can advise on.

And he reminded people that they cannot get a grant for a hybrid heat pump system, such as a combination of a gas boiler and air source heat pump.

Ron said an air source heat pump is an environmentally-friendly alternative to central heating. An outdoor unit harvests heat from the air outside and transfers it to an indoor unit, where it’s used to generate hot water, which can then be used to heat the house, domestic water, radiators or under-floor heating.

The indoor unit uses heat from the air outside, whereas a conventional central heating boiler uses gas.

In simple terms, said Ron, an air source heat pump works a bit like a fridge, only in reverse. Fridges help preserve food by removing the heat from the inside of the appliance and creating cool air, which is then circulated to keep food fresh. Air source heat pumps absorb heat from the outside air and the heat pump compressor then increases the temperature to create heat.

He said the benefits of an air source heat pump were:

• Heats your home and your water.
• Reduces energy costs.
• Minimal maintenance.
• Lower carbon emissions.
• Heats and cools your conservatory, meaning you can use it 365 days a year.
• This solution pays for itself after the first few years and is a great investment in your home.

The UK government aims to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028 and 1.6 million heat pumps annually by 2035, according to the National Audit Office (NAQ) and Parliament.

But to show how big the problem is, only a total of 39,268 air-source and ground/water-source heat pumps were installed in 2023. In the same year approximately 1.8 million gas boilers were sold, although this was down by about 15 per cent on the 2022 figures.

“Perhaps, it is time ministers encouraged the energy companies to offer cheaper electricity tariffs to people and businesses with heat pumps,” added Ron.

“Finally,” he said, “it’s best to leave the installation of an air source heat to a certified installer. Attempting to install an air source heat pump yourself could lead to problems.”

For those wanting more advice about heat pumps and green energy, call Ron on 01782 756995 or contact us here.

Caption: A green solution to heating problems – an air source heat pump