It’s not normal, I know – but these days I rather look forward to the arrival of my energy bills.
In the year just gone, my third with a heat pump, they show my total outlay came to just £1,218.
That paid for all the energy needed to run a three-bed terraced house heated to a steady 20C. Had I consumed the same amount of heat and power using an averagely-efficient boiler and standard tariffs, it would have cost £1,722. Against that benchmark I saved £503, or 29pc.
Admittedly, it hasn’t always been this way. In the previous year I paid roughly £2,260, about £50 more than the Ofgem cap.
So, why the turnaround? I’ve since discovered the unit had been underperforming because of mistakes I made when it was first installed. Rectifying those has helped cut the costs – and my story shows how you can avoid the pitfalls altogether.
This year’s savings came from several sources, but the heat pump was the largest – as shown in the table below.
It provided a year’s heat and hot water for just £576, a saving of £162, according to figures from my energy bills and heat pump data for the year to March 20. The boiler costs are calculated using the same consumption data but assuming an average efficiency boiler and standard tariffs at the prevailing Ofgem cap rates. All figures include VAT.
To read the rest of this story please follow this link to the Telegraph
And here’s some practical advice that doesn’t appear in the main article:
How to maximise heat pump savings
- Get the right installer. When choosing a heat pump installer, look for proof that the firm can design and build a high efficiency heat pump system. A good place to start is heatpumpmonitor.org, which displays live performance data from hundreds of heat pumps, with many showing an annual efficiency of around 400pc (expressed as SPF 4.0). These should be saving around £160 against a boiler or £280 including gas standing charges. If none of these installers cover your area, research locally to find one that can prove the efficiency of its previous installations and aim for at least 380pc.
- Cheaper isn’t necessarily better. Seek three quotes and don’t necessarily take the cheapest – higher efficiency often pays for itself.
- Seek out professionals. If the firm sends a salesperson rather than heating engineer to do the initial heat loss survey, get another quote.
- Insist on good service. Before you sign, make the installer commit either to come back and tweak the weather compensation controls at no extra cost for as long as it takes, or fit an optimiser. If they look blank (or shifty) at either suggestion, move on.
- Make sure you have the right kit. If you already have a heat pump and it’s not yet saving you money, fit an optimiser. There are several to choose from (Homely, PassivUK) but I use Havenwise.