Eco friendly energy sources are rapidly increasingly in popularity with many people looking to switch to a more environmentally friendly source of energy. If you’re looking for an alternative way to heat your home, one that could also save you a great deal of money on your energy bills, then an air source heat pump could be an ideal option.
Air source heat pumps are able to heat your home and deliver hot water to your taps by transferring heat from the atmosphere via a liquid known as a refrigerant. The pump works by drawing heat from the atmosphere through a fan and using it to warm the refrigerant, which is then turned into a gas. The pump compresses the gas in order to increase its temperature before pumping it around your hot water/heating system.
Save costs…
There are many benefits to installing an air source heat pump, particularly if you currently have an electric heating system as it can save significant costs. Switching from an electric system to an air source heat pump could potentially save you up to £1000 a year and even switching from a gas system could save you up to £500. Whilst installation costs can set you back upwards of £6000, you can claim most of this back through the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) which pays yearly instalments of around £2500 a year.
High efficiency…
Air source heat pumps use a small amount of electricity to power the fan mechanism, however their COP rating (Coefficient of performance) far exceeds that of a standard electrical heater. For every unit of electricity, a heat pump consumes, they are able to produce up to 3 units of energy, making them far more efficient than standard electrical heaters and much more environmentally friendly. In very mild weather, heat pumps have even been known to reach a COP rating of 4-5. They also last much longer than standard heating systems with an expected lifeline of up to around 25 years.
Heat your home all year round…
Heat pumps work in all weathers and can continue to heat your home in temperatures of down to around -15°C. This makes them a far more effective solution than heating your home through solar panels which require direct sunlight. One thing to note however, is that the colder the outside temperature, the harder the heat pump will have to work to heat your home, meaning their performance is slightly less efficient in extremely cold weathers.
