What is an Air Source Heat Pump?

An air source heat pump is a low maintenance solution which will heat your home and provide you with hot water, whilst reducing your carbon emissions and save money on your heating bills.

An air source heat pump uses the same technique as your home refrigerator (in reverse) to extract heat from the outside air and move it inside, most often using water and can work efficiently even at temperatures as low as -15°C.

Heat pumps require electricity to run, however, the heat generated far outweighs the energy required to run the heat pump with efficiency ratings generally over 300%. When you compare this with an average new boiler efficiency rating of 92% and older boilers which can be as little as 60% efficient it’s easy to see why air source heat pumps are becoming a popular way of heating your home, particularly in areas where there is no mains gas available.

In the example above, for every unit of electricity used, an air source heat pump generates 3 units of heat meaning that they generate more energy than they use.

An air source heat pump can save you up to £1,100 on your energy bills and 10 tonnes of carbon (source Energy Saving Trust).

With the Boiler Upgrade Scheme you could receive £7,500 towards the cost of installation as well.

The Energy Saving Trust have produced this video which we hope will help you.

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How do Air Source Heat Pumps work?

An Air Source Heat Pump is installed outside, normally at either the side or rear of your home and provide heating and hot water for your home using the following cycle:

1. Capture

The large fan that you can see on the heat pump passes ambient air over extremely cold refrigerant. The refrigerant captures the heat from the ambient air and becomes a warm vapour.

Note: Even when the temperature outside is below zero-degrees Celsius, there is still potential energy within the air. It is this potential energy that a heat pump uses to produce heat.

2. Compress

The warm refrigerant vapour passes through a compressor which produces hot refrigerant and usable heat. You may remember as a child putting your finger over the end of a bicycle pump and it getting very hot – this is the same principle.

3. Exchange

The heat in the hot refrigerant is then transferred to the heating and hot water cylinder though a heat exchanger.

4. Expand

Once the heat has been transferred to the house, the refrigerant passes through an expansion valve which reduces its temperature, making it really cold again and enabling it to capture heat from the ambient air again, continuing the cycle.

Making your heat pump efficient

Heat pumps work most effectively when your property is well insulated.

In order to qualify for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant of £7,500 your home must have a current (less than 10 years old) Energy Performance Certificate showing that loft spaces and any cavity walls are insulated and are not recommended to be insulated. We would also recommend having double glazed windows and can help you with these and insulation for your home if required.

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What is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is available to householders in England and Wales and provides a non-repayable grant of £7,500 towards the cost of installing an air source heat pump.

The scheme is operating on a first-come, first-served basis. As your installer, we will apply for the grant and remove this from the cost of your heat pump. You will then only have to pay for the remaining costs.

You will be eligible for the grant if all of the following are true:

• You own the property that you are applying for. This includes if it’s a business (such as an Airbnb or holiday let), a second home or is a property that you rent out to private tenants.
  
• Is replacing a fossil fuel heating system

Potential annual savings of installing a standard air source heat pump in a three bedroom semi-bedroom detached home, with radiator upgrades as required.