12 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Heat Pumps

They are fast becoming the worlds most celebrated home heating solution, but what are heat pumps? How does a heat pump work? And why are we all talking about them?

They might be a complicated bit of technology, but heat pumps are widely seen as the answer to climate change and protecting the future of our planet.

We have gathered 12 of the most interesting facts that you probably did not know about heat pumps, so you can find all the answers in one place.

1. Heat pumps work in one of 3 ways

It’s possible you’re thinking, what is a heat pump? Well, all heat pumps work on the same principle - they extract heat energy from an external source and transfer it somewhere else. When thinking about heat pumps for home heating, there are 3 ways which a heat pump can work:

An air source heat pump (or ASHP). This pump uses a fan to extract heat energy from the ambient air outside the home. That heat is then transferred, increased to much higher temperatures and used to heat radiators and hot water around the home.

A second, less common type, is a ground source heat pump (GSHP). These work by absorbing heat from deep within the ground beside the home and again, transferring that heat around the property. This type of energy production is also known as geothermal. This is a less popular option as it requires land space and vast (expensive) digging.

The third type, is a water source heat pump (WSHP). These are quite rare, as you need a large body of water near your property in order for these to work. They use the same principles as other heat pumps, but they use the heat energy transfer from a river or stream instead.

2. Heat pumps are 3 times MORE efficient than a traditional gas boiler

Whilst many modern gas boilers can boast efficiency ratings of up to 92%, they really can’t compare to the incredible 300% efficiency of a heat pump.

This means that for every unit of energy you use to run a heat pump, you get back up to 3x that energy in heat output. In monetary terms, if you spent GBP 1 of electricity to run the heat pump, you would enjoy GBP 3 worth of home heating in return.

When you combine this with a well-insulated property, you will see significant improvements in your home heating and in your energy bills!

3. Heat pumps can save you money!

With such incredible efficiency ratings, a heat pump can potentially save you up to GBP 1,500 per year on your energy bills. Although this figure may differ, depending on the kind of system you replace, in this current economic climate savings like this could be significant to many households.

You can also be safe in the knowledge that should the price of fossil fuels continue to increase, you won’t be as heavily affected by that financial impact, as you’re using a natural renewable energy source.

Whether they are air source, ground source or water source heat pumps, they are also going to cost less to run and maintain than a gas boiler. That’s because they can run on lower levels of electricity and have fewer parts that can run into issues requiring expensive maintenance.
You should keep in mind, however, that the upfront cost of heat pumps is considerable. For example, an air source heat pump can cost between GBP 7,000 - GBP 13,000 to install. Even though the initial investment is fairly high, the running cost of a heat pump will save money in the long run. When you compare that to a new boiler, which is closer to between GBP 2,000 - GBP 4,000, it’s a much more expensive investment.

4. Heat pumps work even in minus temperatures

It might come as a surprise, but heat pumps do not need the weather outside to be really warm in order to extract heat. They can in fact work in temperatures as low as -15C!

Whether by air, ground or water, the heat energy within these resources is consistently warm enough that it can be effectively transferred and transformed into higher temperatures. The internal technology of heat pumps means that specialist liquids, known as refrigerants, are used to absorb, transfer and increase the heats capabilities.

Additionally, air, earth and water all retain a certain level of heat, despite what we may measure as sub-freezing, but that doesn’t actually mean there is zero heat. Even very minimal heat can still warm up refrigerant to ample levels in order for the heat pump to work.

It should be noted, that depending on the climate you live in you will need to ensure you find the right type and model of heat pump for your home's specific heating needs.

5. They can heat AND cool

Some heat pump models are able to provide home cooling as well as heating. These heat pumps are a version of air source heat pumps known as ‘air to air’. This is because they convert heat energy from outside to air conditioning units inside the home. The conditioning units can then pump either hot or cold air into the home.

Another benefit of the air-to-air heat pump is that it can be combined with a traditional boiler. This allows the best of both worlds, as you can enjoy efficient air conditioning and hot water.

If you are not in need of air conditioning, you can instead opt for an air-to-water heat pump. These units will directly heat the water in your heating system, providing hot water for your radiators and water outlets. This system is one of the most popular options as it is the most convenient, but you should consider what your home and environment require. The good thing about heat pumps is that there are many options that can fit around your needs.

6. Heat pumps are safer and more reliable than traditional boilers

Traditional boilers operate by burning fossil fuels, whether that’s natural gas or oil, and this comes with a level of risk. Due to the nature of the combustion process used in boilers, deadly gas leaks or fires are a possibility.

Whilst most modern boilers are very safe, you still need to ensure that you keep your boiler well-maintained and serviced annually. This is vital in keeping your home properly protected and preventing any serious issues, particularly if your boiler is old.

Heat pumps, on the other hand, eliminate these risks because there is no combustion involved. They are in fact considered to be the safest heating solution available because they only rely on electricity and don’t need any dangerous fuels to operate.

In addition, a heat pump can run with very little maintenance and will only need professional servicing every 3 - 5 years. This means you can run your heat pump and not have to worry about it for significant periods. Heat pumps will last between 15 - 20 years and are an incredibly reliable future solution.

7. They are the key to tackling climate change

Across the globe government and world leaders are looking for solutions to the climate change crisis. In the UK alone, up to 19% of the country’s carbon emissions come from fossil-fuelled home heating.

The key to combating carbon emissions is by tackling large sources of emissions, like home heating, and by finding low, or zero-carbon, alternatives. That’s where the heat pump can make a huge difference.

By switching from a fossil fuel boiler to a heat pump, a whole household can reduce their carbon contributions by significant levels. This is not only because they can eliminate the burning of harmful fuels, but also because of the incredible efficiency of heat pumps, meaning that even the electricity used to run them is less harmful.

With home heating being such a large contributor to the climate crisis, replacing inefficient fossil-fuelled systems with something that uses natural renewable energy, will have a huge global impact for the future.

8. Heat pumps require £££s

We know they’re beneficial, but how much is a heat pump? The unfortunate fact is, heat pumps do cost a lot of money to install. Typically they can cost anything from GBP 5,000 to GBP 45,000 and that is significantly more than your average boiler.

Costs vary between heat pump types and the models available, so it’s worth really understanding what kind you need. Most homeowners would go for an air source heat pump, with the ‘air-to-water’ set up, because this most closely mimics what a traditional boiler heating system would do. For an air-to-water heat pump, you can expect to pay between GBP 5,000 to GBP 18,000.

If you have the land area, (and want a more discreet look) you could opt for the ground source heat pump which costs between GBP 13,000 and GBP 35,000. This price rise is due to the need for a lot of manual labour to dig and place the ground source parts underground.

If you are fortunate enough to have a body of water close to your property, you can also consider a water source heat pump which costs around GBP 10,000.

Most of the high cost for heat pumps comes from the need to have specialist engineers undertake a more extensive installation than you would usually need with a boiler. The heat pumps also come in multiple parts and connecting them to your existing heating system will take certain knowledge and time.

9. But, you could get a huge discount through government schemes

With climate change high on the global and political agenda, many governments are offering incentives for homeowners to make the switch to heat pumps, and reduce their carbon emissions.

In the UK for example, the Government is tackling the barrier of cost by offering grant funding to pay for a huge part of the expense. Through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), homeowners who wish to install a heat pump can claim a grant of up toGBP 6,000. This amount, if granted, is then directly taken off of the cost of their heat pump installation.

The aim of the grant is to give more people access to low-carbon heating, which is currently unobtainable to most people due to the high costs involved. The UK Government is hoping that this scheme will see up to 600,000 heat pumps installed each year, by 2028.

In addition, to give more people access to heat pumps, the Government introduced a zero VAT initiative on certain energy-efficient measures, so that homeowners would end up paying less. This applies to heat pumps and solar panels. The zero VAT measures will be in place until 2027, giving many people a greater opportunity to save money.

10. Heat pumps can work with renewable electricity sources

If you want to make your entire heating system green, you can combine a heat pump with a renewable electricity source. There are a few ways this can work.

By installing solar panels and batteries to your home, you can produce your own source of renewable electricity. Not only could this power your heat pump, but you can also power the rest of your home on free solar energy. This will not only greatly reduce your environmental impact, but it will save you money on electricity bills.

You can also think about installing a wind turbine or choosing an energy provider that generates only renewable energy. This way you can further reduce your carbon footprint and you can end up paying little to nothing for your energy!

11. Heat pumps are suitable for any home

You may think that heat pumps are only good for big homes, with plenty of space and modern insulation. New research however has proven that no matter whether you’re in a flat or detached home, if it’s old or brand new, there is a heat pump solution to suit all.

The kind of home you have will affect which type of heat pump you can have, for example, you will need ample grounds to dig and install a ground source heat pump. But, the good news is that there are a number of options available now, from air source to hybrid heat pumps.

As the world looks to more efficient, renewable energy sources, advances in heat pump technology are making it easier for tens of thousands of homeowners to adopt a new home heating solution. What’s more, because they run on electricity, swapping or adopting renewable electricity sources are making heat pumps the most significant and impactful change homeowners can make right now.

12. Heat pumps are boosting the economy

With a spike in uptake across the globe, the need for manufacturers and expert installers of heat pumps is rising.

Research commissioned by Greenpeace revealed that if the UK was to install 900,000 heat pumps (which would support governments net zero ambitions), it would create 138,600 new jobs and boost the economy by GBP 10 billion.

The demand for heat pumps has already seen an increase in production, with manufacturers creating new models and releasing more bespoke options for different households. This in turn creates a need for more specialised engineers to install and service this technology. Not only does it mean heat pumps are helping to protect our planet, but they’re also helping people in lots of different ways.

It’s clear that heat pumps are set to be a new stable in homes across the globe. With further grants and the incentive to cut energy bills, heat pumps could be the future of home heating that the world has been waiting for.

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