The future looks bright for air source heat pumps.
Their effectiveness is miles ahead of gas boilers, which will be a thing of the past in newly constructed homes as of 2025. Furthermore, they’re energy efficient, since they’re run by electric power.
The costs of air source heat pumps are also dropping especially since it is the case that Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides homeowners with a discount of £5,000 when they upgrade the gas-powered boiler they have with a heating system.
We’ve explored the amount of energy efficient the air source heat pump is compared to others heating methods, as well as what they do to make them better.
How efficient are air source heat pump?
The common heat pumps efficiency is around 300%, but the top ones can achieve more than that.
That means that, on average your heating system that is powered by air can produce the equivalent of three units energy per unit of energy it absorbs.
For a better understanding to understand the situation, the average UK house uses around 12,000 kWh annually for heating. Your heating system would be able to generate the equivalent amount of heating from only 4,024 energy units.
Comparatively electrical boilers perform four times more efficient and have an efficiency of 100%. Likewise, the top gas boilers only be 98% efficient or less.
Electricity is typically four times more expensive than gas, and this means you’re not getting any benefit due to your heating system’s remarkable efficiency, but times are changing.
With the cost of gas rising and electricity becoming the most efficient method to allow the UK to meet its target of zero emissions by 2050. You’d be investing into a future that’s already here, and will save you a significant sum on your heating bills when it arrives.
Even with this benefit however, the National Home Energy Survey found that only 25% of households would own a heat pump even if it was free.
Why are air source heat pump so efficient?
They are 4 times as efficient as electric and gas boilers since they don’t need to burn gas or change electricity into heat.
Instead, they just move warm air that is outside inside your home by the air being blown through the compressor and then heat exchange. This is then transformed to hot water.
You can determine how efficient a particular model is by taking a look at the coefficient of Performance (CoP) – but you should also look at its Seasonal Performance Factor (SPF) for the full picture.
While the CoP gives you the machine’s maximum efficiency The SPF will reveal the average efficiency of a heat pump throughout the entire year.
How efficient are ground source heat pumps?
Ground Source Heat Pumps can be 300 percent to 400 percent efficient, according to The Ground Source Heat Pump Association.
These machines, which draw heat from at least one metre below the surface of Earth, in the same ballpark with heating sources that are powered by air.
Certain model are more effective than air-based counterparts, while others aren’t as efficient and it’s all about the particular heat pump and the capabilities of it.
What is the efficiency of air source heating pumps during winter?
Air source heat pumps are approximately 20percent less effective in winter because they require more power to draw heat from the air.
This means that, despite misconceptions that claim they’re not as efficient as boilers in the winter months, they’re around 2.5 times as efficient as gas-powered boilers, even in snowy weather.
You don’t have to be concerned regarding your heating system’s air source failing at any time, even when temperatures fall below the freezing point.
Modern heating systems continue to work even when temperatures drop to 10 degrees Celsius, and the most efficient models can keep you warm, even when temperatures are -25 degrees Celsius outside.
This is because there’s still warmth in the air right now. If there was any heat that would mean it had been -273degC. even the most severe British winters aren’t as awful.
In the winter months it is possible to conduct periodic maintenance checks as the weather is typically worse during winter.
In areas that experience extreme weather in the winter seasons, homeowners may want to look into purchasing a heating cover that shields the unit’s exterior from snow and debris.
Do heat pump boilers work better than gas?
Yes, they are more efficient than gas boilers.
Heating systems that use air source have efficiency ratings that are usually three times higher than the gas boilers’ ratings and up to five times higher.
Ground-source heat pumps could be just as efficient in efficiency however they’re typically 3.7 percent more effective than boilers that use gas.
The reason for their superiority in this regard is their ability to generate about three heat units per every unit of electricity given, while their counterparts powered by fossil fuels generate around 0.96 Units of heat per one gas unit.
What is best? The most effective air heat source?
The most effective Air source heat pump is the enticingly named Hitachi Yutaki M RASM-4VNE, in accordance with our assessment of the top heat pump of the year.
This amazing machine is efficient at 500%. This means that it produces five units heat for each one unit of electric power.
Hitachi’s latest market-leading model puts out 11 kW of heating, which is more than enough for a typical home and even provides enough warmth for the 200 square meters of a home.
If your supplier is a member of this government-sponsored Boiler Upgrade Program, then you can avail the discount of £5,000.