by Wayne Bettess of Your New Boiler - www.yournewboiler.com
What are heat pumps?
There are two types of heat pumps, air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps.
Air source heat pumps look and work very similar to air conditioning units, just in reverse. It is extracting heat from the air.
Ground source heat pumps extract heat from the ground via a network of pipes buried in the garden.
How much does a heat pump cost?
Well, you may want to sit down here; the cost of supplying and installing an air source heat pump can range from £8,000 to £15,000.
A ground source can be even higher, starting at £15,000 up to £30,000! Compared to an average of £2,000-£4,000 for a boiler replacement!
Please note, you may still need a boiler! Heat pumps may not fulfil all your heating and hot water requirements.
How much room will a Heat pump take up?
Air source heat pumps are not big appliances; They are generally rectangular, about the size of a tumble drier or washing machine. They get mounted on the property’s exterior with pipes that enter the building to connect to the internal system.
Ground source heat pumps need more space as they require boreholes to be drilled in the garden and pipes running back to the house to be connected to the pump and equipment. For many UK households, ground source heat pumps will not be the solution.
What is the Government offering?
The Government have said they will issue grants of £5,000 to those households that install a heat pump. This does not launch till next year (April 2022) . There are very limited funds available. It is estimated that the grant will help 90,000 heat pumps be installed in the UK. This is a relevantly small amount when you compare it to the boiler sales in 2019 alone, which was well over 1.5 million boilers sold.
My boiler is broken or unreliable, what should I do?
If you are experiencing problems right now, you are very unlikely to receive any help from what the Government has announced as it doesn’t launch till 2022. Unless you have 10-20 k spare to invest into a green heat pump solution right now, then your best bet would be to get the boiler replaced by a local, family-owned new boiler installation company.
Boris Johnson says: “We’re going to make carbon-free alternatives cheaper to install so that when you or your landlord next come to replace your boiler it makes more sense to go with a cleaner, more efficient replacement that you know will help the planet.”
I really hope this article has helped you understand a few things about heat pumps. Please share it with anyone that you feel may find the information valuable.
If you are based in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire or Buckinghamshire then please visit our website www.yournewboiler.com for a free quote on replacing your boiler
