With each new generation, society becomes more conscious of the environment, its carbon footprint, and the overall efficiency of household systems, units and appliances. Therefore, it is no surprise that heat pumps have become a popular solution for those looking for an energy-efficient and cash friendly way to create a warm, cosy home. The thing is, what may seem like the perfect solution at first glance, soon shows itself to be less than straightforward and starts to raise the question, is it worth the investment?
Before you invest in a heat pump
The first essential thing to understand is that heat pumps can incur a substantial upfront install cost and yes, the installation of a heat pump can be a little demanding. Before installing a heat pump, it’s important for your installer to understand a variety of elements such as the current movement of heat or insulation in your home, the local geology if you’re considering a ground source heat pump, and of course your unique heating and cooling needs.
5 reasons why heat pumps are worth the cost
To understand why a heat pump is worth the cost, you need to look at the bigger picture and see how the long-term benefits outweigh the initial cost. Here are five excellent examples of why a heat pump is worth the investment in both time and money.
Heat pumps can equal lower running costs
While heat pumps require a considerable initial investment, there’s no doubt that they can be more cost-effective to run in the long run. If you are looking for a cheap and easy way of becoming more energy efficient and save on your energy bills, other solutions such as loft or cavity wall insulation are likely to be more appropriate.
Additionally, if you currently use gas to heat your home and water, a heat pump system may not provide you with the financial savings you want in the short term and will require a bigger amount of time to prove the return on the cost. However, if you currently use oil, electricity, liquid gas or solid fuels to heat your home, an air or ground source heat pump is a good way of reducing your carbon footprint and saving money on your energy bills.
Heat pumps can provide you with heating, cooling and hot water
A real unrivalled benefit of heat pump technology is its all-around versatility. Pumping heat uses less electricity than converting heat, so heat pumps can be an extremely effective and efficient one-stop solution for a home's entire heating, cooling and hot water needs.
Whether your home has underfloor heating, space heaters, heat pump convectors, radiators, a hot water tank or a boiler – providing you have selected the right heat pump and capacity for your emitters, a heat pump is versatile enough to connect to any emitters in your home and ensure you have cosy, warm rooms and hot steamy showers on demand whatever the weather.
There's a type of heat pump for every type of home
While heat pumps all appear to do the same thing at first glance, what makes them different and unique is that there is a right type of heat pump for any kind of home, need and requirement. For example, an air-to-water low-temperature heat pump would be a good choice for a newly built home. This is because newly built properties are generally well-insulated and therefore don't require any additional insulation work.
Older homes will require a little more preparation such as cavity wall insulation and double glazing, but with a little research and the right guidance you are sure to find a heat pump that fits accordingly to your home and is suitable for your individual circumstances and needs.
Heat pumps have a long life span
The hypothetical lifespan of a heat pump is relatively long; some people even say up to 50 years, however the average lifespan of a well-maintained heat pump system can reach as many as around 20-30 years. Due to advancements in technology and legislation, it might make sense that your heat pump is replaced a bit sooner. Regardless, in this time, you should be able to save a vast amount of money and carbon emissions, so you will see return on investment and then some.
A heat pump system will have a much shorter pay-back period if it replaces an electrical, oil or coal-fired heating system, but then it is worthwhile considering your own long-term plans of whether you intend to keep the property long enough to see a financial return and if not, you should investigate whether the presence of a heat pump can also increase the sale or rentable value of your home.
Heat pumps are generally safer than traditional systems
Heat pumps are safer than combustion-based heating systems. They are safe to operate and do not need to burn fuel to generate heat because they run on electricity. Because no fuel is being burned, the risk of fuel leaking and igniting in the room doesn't exist. They also don't produce any smoke or local emissions, eliminating the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Although modern gas boilers are much safer than they used to be, the risk of carbon monoxide leaks or even in extreme circumstances, explosions is ever-present.
All heating systems should be regularly maintained and serviced to ensure reliability and efficiency. Heat pumps are no different in that respect. Regular maintenance is a must to ensure hassle-free operation and system longevity.
Final thoughts
There is no doubt that installing a heat pump can be a serious investment in terms of time and money, but providing your home and circumstances are primed to make the very best use of a system like this, the long-term benefits really do make a heat pump worth the investment.
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