Central heating oil, gas or heat pump!

[Chocolatecornetto]

I'm the the process of getting a new kitchen. Currently have an old oil boiler in it (13 years old)

Not on mains gas, but can get connected relatively easily - I was initially thinking of buying the bullet and getting a combi boiler in the roof as the plumber says that although oil is cheaper ATM, gas is more efficient.

Then I started thinking of greener alternatives but I don't think an air pump will give enough heat. Possibly ground source could be an option although it creates some mess!

WWYD?!

Gas

How well insulated is the rest of your house? IIRC heat exchanger systems are only effective with good insulation.

Mothership I forgot to say that this is a concern - it is generally cold inside and I have a feeling that the heat pump option just will not cut it. I was all set to go down the gas route, when exP commented that I am completely mad and noone in their right mind would be installing gas now

Much as a like the greener option I get the feeling this is for new builds or very well insulated houses

I looked into this and a heat pump installer told me very honestly that unless I had a well insulated house and could install underfloor heating he would be wasting my money installing a heat pump.

I'd go with gas for now and assume that in ten years time when your boiler needs replacing, heat pump technology is likely to have improved.

We went for oil and a megaflo. Oil v cheap at moment, 3 storey house and didn’t think combo would cope with showers not going cold etc...

What about air to air or air to water heat pumps? Our gas boiler is 16 years old now and we are having work done on the house and garden so a good time to consider green options. Has anyone looked at/ installed these?

ValkyrieCain
Similar here as in both the house and garden need work. Just had a callback to say that ground pump likely to be £20k initial outlay!!
They suggested air pump - I don't know anyone who has successfully had one fitted in an older house - caller was obviously on a sales mission

modern oil boilers can be more efficient than gas boilers, and oil is currently the cheapest fuel per unit heat although prices obviously vary.

I replaced a 30 year old oil boiler a few years back, that was quite a guzzler but do check the efficiency of your current one, 13 years isn't that old.

don't put boilers in roof spaces, maintenance nightmare.

So I have someone doing a site visit tomorrow for feasibility. They reckon the house ticks all the boxes and has an EPC of D, which surprises me!
It's for an air to water heat pump with a government incentive that apparently pays for it I over 7 years - no boiler, which is a big plus

Ooh. Keep us posted. I think, from the very limited research I've done so far that this may be the best option for us. House built in 2005, good insulation. Radiators main heat source in each room. Could always have a gas boiler as back up just in case.

Please do let us know.

I will - hopefully - be completing on a new place in the new year and am looking at heat pumps. The place needs a new kitchen, bathroom, windows and flooring so perfect time to stick loads of insulation in and underfloor heating. Boiler is relatively new so may keep it for a few years but want to put in the groundwork now in terms of insulation and efficiency. And then can make a hopefully smooth switch to a pump

Think carefully about underfloor hearing. A relative in the trade put me off as it's not nearly instant heat like our gas central heating. It takes a long time to heat up and warm the room. We're in and out a lot, don't like heating on at night while we're in bed. He said it wouldn't be a good choice for us.

So the sale rep has been!
The good news is that Air source heat pumps work fine with radiators now
He has suggested the high temperature Therma V - it's an LG product

The price will be c.£16.5 k of which £10k is claimed through the RHI. Quarterly payments.

Can get a grant of £5k upfront but taken off the quarterly payments above

Ground source heat pumps are out of the equation. Upfront cost of £30k and a lot of mess!

The most amazing information on solar panels though! I can't remember the exact cost - but including a battery system (£4k ish) this was about £11k - which sounds v expensive. No government subsidies on this. If you sign up with Octopus then they will put you on a special tariff and sell your excess electrify on! So in the long run, this would be fabulous and make me feel very self sufficient! Such a lot of money though

So. The oil boiler will definitely be going.

My only slight concern is that they're a huge company rather than a local one. I'm taking the weekend to think it over

Hello this sounds very interesting - I am just starting thinking about all this. When you say the sales rep - from where? Thanks 😊

Fennel here's the Website
solarthermuk.co.uk/

They are part of Silvercrest energy and seem to cover the country. There are so many places out there though - some hadn't phoned me back, I'm just going to think about it over the weekend. Apparently they are the main stockists of the actual heat pumps that some companies can find it hard to source (or have I been taken in on that one )

They will talk through on the phone then send the sales rep , followed by a survey

I'm also going to phone a local company as I did feel a little under pressure to act now if I wanted the grant.

electricheatwarehouse.co.uk/products/therma-v-high-temperature-split-heat-pump

This is the cost price of the unit so that means £9k installation cost - it takes 2 days plus site visit but the £16.5k does sound quite steep

That's super helpful! Thank you. Am in Essex and found a local company so will be getting them round. Good luck!

I think it is maybe worth getting another company to have a quick look too...it was just the last part of his visit when he tried to say I needed to act quickly because of the grant, and left an unpleasant feeling

How long will you be living in the property (long term)? Seems a big outlay. I'd price up a replacement oil boiler so you can consider the overall outlay.
ps the guy hassling about grants sounds equal to double glazing sales techniques!

Be careful. My air source heat pump failed after three years and required total replacement. I have gone back to gas.

It's a hard decision. If I knew 100% it would heat the house properly and was reliable I'd go for it
Billstopay
How many years ago was yours installed? I know there were problems in 2013 as a friend had one then

Mine installed 2014 - failed four years later. Company I called to repair it told me the pumps only last 2-4 years in their experience. Before spending any money suggest asking air source heat pump salesperson for contact details of 3 satisfied customers & contact them to check if they’re satisfied and how long their pump has lasted. Good luck!

Why do you think air source heat pumps don’t heat houses? Our house is around 5000 sq ft and is heated by two air source heat pumps. We have mostly underfloor heating on the ground floor and two older rooms with radiators. We have all radiators on the first floor. We are never ever cold. The water temp is lower but that’s no issue for us. We have low tog duvets all winter and wear t shirts if we wish. We have fireplaces but rarely use them. We never need a fire.

Yes, we have high quality insulation and we are modern construction apart from the two rooms with radiators. I think we all now need to insulate our houses to reduce global warming. It’s not acceptable to use fossil fuels and spew heat out of our homes. It’s obviously important that everyone starts to make green changes to their homes. Heat pumps are a start.