What Are Heat Pumps?
Heat pumps are a renewable energy source used to heat homes without realising carbon emissions.
As of 2020, there were around 250,000 UK homes with heat pumps. However, this is set to massively increase by 2025 as all gas and oil boilers will be banned from newbuild homes.
Heat pumps pull in air from the outside of the soil, extract the heat and disperse it to your radiators, underfloor heating and water systems.
There a two different types of heat pumps; air source and ground source. Both come with benefits and drawbacks.
Which One Is More Efficient?
The winner is ground sources heat pumps. Ground source heat pumps are more efficient than air source heat pumps.
Air Source Heat Pumps
Air is pulled in from the outside, and the warmer air is then extracted and heated. During colder months, the heat pump must work that little bit harder to heat your home, meaning it will use more electricity.
The actual efficiency value for air source heat pumps can be difficult to gauge as the air temperature fluctuates; therefore, any efficiency testing can be seen as unreliable as it doesn't consider this varying factor.
However, air source heat pumps are the second most efficient heating system after ground source heat pumps.
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Ground pump pipes are filled with water and placed underground. The soil's naturally occurring heat is then absorbed through the pipes.
Soil temperature fluctuates less and is usually 5 degrees or higher, even in winter. This means less energy is needed to create heat to pump throughout your home, resulting in less unexpected energy bill spikes.
Water also holds heat a lot better than air. In at, water can hold around 4 times more heat than air.
Difference in Cost
Cost is a significant factor to consider when deciding whether to invest in heat pumps. In terms of upfront costs, air source heat pumps are the cheaper option. However, government incentives can help subsidise both air source and ground source heat pumps.
Air source heat pumps can cost from £7000 - £14,000. This is due to only having to pay for the unit and the installation on the side of your home.
Ground source heat pumps can cost from £14,000 - £19,000. These are more expensive due to the heavy manual installation process of creating boreholes or horizontal paths to fit the pipes.
Although the Renewable Heat Incentive closed on 31st March 2022, the new Clean Heat Grant was brought out in April 2022. This scheme can give homes up to £5000 to spend on the upfront costs of heat pumps.
Installation Process
Air source heat pumps win this segment in terms of the time it takes to install and ease of installation.
Air Source Heat Pump
This heating system can be up and heating your home in a matter of days. The actual system is a similar size to an air conditioning unit. It is attached to the side of your home and usually doesn't need planning permission.
Ground Source Heat Pump
The ground source pipes need to be placed underground. Depending on the size of the property, they'll be placed horizontally, or if you have a smaller ground area, vertically in boreholes.
This installation process can take a few weeks to complete. However, they won't be visible once installed and usually don't require any maintenance.
What's Better Air Source or Ground Source Heat Pumps?
Ultimately it depends on your preference, home, and reasoning for installing heat pumps!
We understand it's a difficult decision, call the Green Energy Team today, and we can walk you through each option and help decide which heat pumps will be best for your home.