What's it like having a heat pump?
Max is Good Energy’s Operations Director, leading the heat pump team. Wanting to practice what he preaches he decided to get a heat pump installed at his family home in Winter 2022.
In this article, he shares his heat pump install experience, and what it’s like living in a home heated by a heat pump.
Heat pumps work well in ordinary homes
I live in a 1985 four-bed detached house, with my wife and our two young children. Our home is EPC D rated, with no insulation improvements and with ordinary radiators throughout.
We had an aging and inefficient gas boiler, which was getting less reliable and leading to expensive energy bills, so it felt like the right time to upgrade to a heat pump.
Our heat pump survey showed that a heat pump would work well at our house without any new radiators or additional insulation.
After installation, I did replace a couple of radiators and install underfloor heating in my kitchen so that I could get our heat pump working even more efficiently.
How was my heat pump installation?
I felt very confident in my decision to get a heat pump, but I did have some concerns about how my family would manage without heating during the installation which took place during a sub-zero spell in December 2022.
Our heat pump installation took three days, with a team of three arriving at around 8:30 AM on the first day. They replaced the hot water cylinder on the first day, ensuring we had hot water before the kids returned from school.
There were minimal disruptions to our daily routine. Apart from wearing an extra jumper during the installation, everything proceeded smoothly.
Although I probably tried to get more involved than most customers, the install team were patient and accommodating and communicated brilliantly.
They were mindful of our home and gave us lots of notice before significant changes, such as a short period when our electricity was turned off on the last day.
After a few hours of the house temperature dropping to around 8°C, the heat pump quickly brought it back to a very comfortable 20°C.
A heat pump makes our house warmer than ever
I am extremely satisfied with both the heat pump installation process and the end result. Our house is consistently warmer than ever, maintaining a comfortable 20°C throughout the day and 18°C at night.
The noise and smell of our old boiler is gone, and our carbon emissions are hugely reduced.
The only drawback was sacrificing some cupboard space for our hot water cylinder – but we have quickly adapted.
Heat pump running costs compared with a gas boiler
Since the installation, our heat pump has performed exceptionally well. Over the past year, its efficiency has been an average of 411%, though it could be higher if I didn’t prioritise using cheaper periods of electricity to keep running costs down. In comparison, my old boiler was only 68% efficient.
Our heat pump has provided more consistent comfort while reducing our heating costs by around £20 per month.
As it runs off electricity, we recently made the decision to get solar panels installed too, which will provide a lot of the power our heat pump needs throughout the year.
Proud to be part of Good Energy’s heat pump team
On a personal note, the installation of the heat pump has made me even prouder to be part of Good Energy’s heat pump team. The process has reinforced my belief in renewable energy and its benefits. I encourage others to consider this sustainable and efficient heating solution too.
If you want to find out more, please reach out to the team for a no-obligation quote.
