The Government is encouraging the use of heat pump grants, which are making it more affordable to upgrade to a new heating system if people live in the UK. Many may be reluctant to get a heat pump due to the high costs associated with installation, however over time, they could make huge savings.
Heat pumps are significantly more efficient than traditional boilers and use cleaner electricity, so could reduce an individual’s home carbon footprint and is usually cheaper to run than oil and gas boilers.
Experts at Village Heating provided insight into deciding what is best for one’s home – heat pumps or gas boilers, as well as explaining the grants available.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants households up to £6,000 to help switch from a gas boiler to a low-carbon heat pump.
However, the Government’s flagship green heating scheme has been described as “seriously failing” by a Lords inquiry.
The Lords Climate Change Committee said grant take-up is so low the national target for green heating is “very unlikely to be met”.
The Government responded by saying it would launch a marketing campaign to make people more aware of the scheme.
READ MORE: Thousands of pensioners losing out on £3,500 a year – how to check if you can claim
There are three grants available to help install heat pumps or other energy-efficient technologies through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme:
- £5,000 grant for the cost and installation of an air source heat pump
- £6,000 off the cost and installation of a ground source heat pump, including water source heat pumps
- £5,000 grant for the cost and installation of a biomass boiler.
To be eligible for the grant, individuals must own the property they are applying for; including if it is a commercial building, a second home or a property rented out for tenants; they must have their heat pump or biomass boiler commissioned on or after Aril 1, 2022; and they must be replacing a heating system that uses oil, gas, electric or another that heats fossil fuel.
New builds are not eligible for the scheme. Grants are not available for social housing.
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“As for heat pumps, as there are fewer qualified installers for heat pumps, installing a heat pump can cost between £7,000 to £15,000 depending on if it is an air-sourced heat pump and can take up to 3 days.
“Meanwhile, a ground-sourced heat pump takes significantly longer, up to six weeks and can cost between £18,000 and £25,000 to install.”
For gas boilers, the cost of electricity is higher than that of gas, but electricity prices fluctuate more often. As it stands, heating with an average gas boiler will cost households £984 per year.
In comparison the expert explained with an efficient heating pump, households can save up to 27 percent on their heating bills, which will cost £724 per year to run; this is a saving of £261 per year.
However, most UK homes have poor thermal efficiency, meaning the running costs could be much higher than expected, or the home will require insulation and draught-proofing, meaning they are spending more to properly insulate their home.
Heat pumps are however more efficient to use as their ratings can go as high as 400 percent.
A new A-rated gas boiler is 90 percent efficient at converting energy to heat the water in one’s home, with only 10 percent wasted.
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