Heat Source Pumps.

[Leon103]

Buy storage tank and fill when the price is low?

Until Russia is sorted we won't see it low again. It used to be 50% cheaper in summer months and that's when I stock up. It was more expensive in Summer 2023 than winter and the current price. I guess the mild winter had some part to play.

Just before covid I was offered a free tank, I said no, after all they are big ugly things. Covid hit and it dropped to 0.175p a litre, cheapest I have ever seen it.

 

[jof]

If you did put in solar, you could add air con type heat pump. That would do a lot of your heating, leaving your existing oil system for just the cold bits from late Dec to end of Feb.
Also get solar powered cooling in the summer during that 1 week of heatwave.

 

[MashBag]

If you did put in solar, you could add air con type heat pump. That would do a lot of your heating, leaving your existing oil system for just the cold bits from late Dec to end of Feb.
Also get solar powered cooling in the summer during that 1 week of heatwave.

How much would that cost?

 

[jof]

I don't know, as it would depend on your house & the unit(s) you buy.
If you had an open plan house then you could get away with an inexpensive single downstairs unit as it won't be your main heating.

For 3 internal units split from 1 outside inverter cost range from just over 5k to 8k depending on make, model. Ours was at higher end as it's our only heating, had upstairs ducted to the bedrooms & quietest inverter we could get as it's sited fairly close to neighbours & didn't want to upset them.

Oh, and because it was a new heat pump install, no VAT.

 

[MashBag]

Do you have some links or model numbers? Interested to understand the options and wattage. I have an old aircon unit, and an eye for tinkering.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Here's an interesting demonstration in the real world of what a difference a decent installation and modern technology makes. Guy in a 6-bed house with bits dating back to the 19th century, was paying £1,970/year to heat with a gas boiler. Got a heat pump 5 years ago that was installed badly and found himself using less energy but as electricity is more expensive he was paying £3,190/year.

Got the system sorted properly with a replacement Vaillant Arotherm+ heat pump and is now paying £1,440/year (ie £530 less than gas) and if he went to the Ovo heat pump tariff it would be £754 (saving £1,216/year, but still looking at a 8+ year payback period if the installation had been from scratch).

They're very happy with how it's now working, he says it's "boring" how every time he looks at it it's a rock steady 20C, and it's more comfortable as it's more radiant rather than convection-based. They used to close off rooms they don't use whereas now they leave all the doors open. From a technical POV, it's notable that since installation they've put 1,112kWh in and got 4,961kWh out for a multiplier (SCOP) of 4.46, and in the last 30 days it's had a SCOP of 5.23.
Towards the end they show https://heatpumpmonitor.org/ which allows people to display their current SCOP in a league table - it's striking that of the 34 installations with a current COP >=4.5, sixteen are Vaillant Arotherm+,three are Samsung Gen 6 and two are Mitsubishi Ecodan, although the top of the COPs at the moment is a Nibe F2050-10 with a COP of 6.0.

 

[Leon103]

I am still very tempted by these, a few people I know are mid installation so will be seeking views.

 

[ChilledGecko]

My concern is not so much the house heating but the hot water heating, as they run better at low temperatures can they / how good are they at providing grief free hot water at wife requirement quantities.

Edit - typo

 

[old dog new tricks]

My concern is nor do much the house heating but the hot water heating, as they run better at low temperatures can they / how good are they at providing grief free hot water at wife requirement quantities.

yes we have become used to combi providing instant water BUT larger multi bathroom houses have went back to pressurised hot water storage for years yes it needs space most are in large cupboards or garages.

Great to see heatpumps can work but scary so many botched installs that cost more look at the scandal of scottish housing authorities having to remove them when they crippled estates with horrendous electric charges - most had to be retro fitted with gas boilers