£7,500 GRANT AVAILABLE FROM GOV.UK
Select Number of Bedrooms (1-2 3-4 5+) and How Well Insulated (Well insulated or Poorly Insulated) Your Home Is:
*size estimates are a guide only, and can change depending not only on the levels of insulation, but also other factors including number of people in the household and the demand for heat and hot water.
Calculating the size of a heat pump is more straightforward for modern properties as these will have been built with levels of insulation that meet UK building regulations and therefore the property could be classed as ‘well insulated’
Older buildings are likely to be less well-insulated. They may be solid wall construction, so they do not even have wall cavities to fill, which would make them less efficient and potentially in need of a larger heat pump system.
Any heat pump company estimating the size of the air source heat pump system required should take into account some of the following:
Heat pump size is important as without a system of sufficient capacity you will struggle to meet your demand for heat and hot water. If the capacity is too low, the heat pump will have to run for an extended period to meet demand, and this will reduce the lifespan of your heat pump.
Alternatively, if you install a heat pump that is well over capacity and too powerful for your household’s heating demands, then the system will be ‘short cycling’ — effectively turning on and off frequently — which will put the heat pump under unnecessary strain.
A typical air source heat pump in a well-insulated 3-bedroom property of around 100 square metres would need to be in the region of 5kW to heat the property effectively.
If the floor space of a property was double that, at 200 square metres, it is fair to assume with other things being equal that a heat pump in the region of 10kW would be required.
The size estimates we suggest above are specifically for air source heat pumps as these are the most common and likely to be what will be suitable for the majority of properties. Air heat pumps are impacted more by seasonal changes in temperatures, so if you live in an area that experiences large fluctuations in the colder months, you may need a system with a larger heat pump capacity.
Ground source heat pumps are less impacted by seasonal changes in ambient temperatures as ground temperatures remain largely the same throughout the year. This means if a 5kW air source is recommended, where a ground source heat pump is also possible, the recommended size might be 4kW.
The size of the heat pump recommended for your home will have an impact on the cost. Generally, if you have a larger home and household, the bigger the heat pump system you will require, and this will be reflected in the price.
While the costs may at first be off-putting — if for example, you compare it to the cost of installing a replacement boiler — the long-term savings and reduced carbon footprint will more than prove worthwhile. The good news is that there is funding available to help households make the switch to an energy-efficient renewable heating system.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides air source heat pump grants of up to £7,500 to households in England and Wales to install heat pumps and other energy-efficient heating systems. Those in Scotland may be able to get a Scottish Government grant up to £7,500 (or £9,000 if they qualify for rural uplift funding) or an interest-free loan, while some funding grants are also available in Northern Ireland.
Contact us today to find out about air-source heat pumps and whether they are suitable for your property. We will put you in touch with expert installers who will help you ascertain which heat pump system is best for your home
