by William Jenkins, co-director of Malvern Solar
Did you know that the UK government is going to ban new oil-fired boiler installations in homes starting in 2035?
So, if your boiler is showing signs of age, maybe now is the time to consider a heat pump?
Get valuable space back in your kitchen, as heat pumps go outside! Not only that, heat pumps are much more efficient than a boiler, being around 300% efficient, compared to a condensing boiler, which is around 85% efficient. This means that for every 1kW of energy put into a heat pump, you get 3 to 4 kW of heat, while with a boiler, you only get 0.85 kW of heat.
If you add solar PV panels and a home battery to a heat pump installation, then the cost of heating your home with a heat pump drops significantly. This is what I call the ‘holy trinity: where, in conjunction with a suitable heat pump electricity tariff, you can really get your heating and electric bills right down. Don’t forget that the average payback time in the UK for a 3-6kW system with battery is 8-10 years. After that, all the electricity you generate is free! The government now obliges the major power supply companies to offer tariffs with a ‘Smart Energy Guarantee’. This means you can get paid for exporting electricity which you don’t use. I use the ‘Agile Outgoing Octopus’ tariff, and I think of the reduction on my bills from April – October as offsetting the cost of running the heat pump during colder months.
Have you got 300mm of loft insulation?
Now, let’s look at home insulation. This is a great step to take to get your bills down, no matter what energy source you have for your home. Improving your loft insulation is by far the most cost-effective (and easiest) measure you can take. As we all know, hot air rises, so if you stop it from leaving your home, you stay warmer. It’s a simple as that. The government has a couple of schemes for encouraging homeowners and tenants to improve their insulation and so reduce energy bills. The ECO (energy company obligation) is aimed at tackling fuel poverty. To be eligible, you need to be receiving at least one of a list of benefits, such as child benefit or income support. The ECO scheme cannot be used in conjunction with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (more on that at the end). Then there’s the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS), which is aimed at occupants of houses with an EPC rating D-G (ie. houses with poor levels of insulation and therefore high heating bills). Importantly, this scheme covers the cost of loft insulation as well as cavity wall and either external or internal wall insulation.
Get on the BUS
Finally, the most important grant available from the Government at the moment is the £7,500 boiler upgrade scheme (BUS) grant, which is available to owners of homes and businesses replacing any fossil fuel-based boiler with a heat pump. This means that if you’re taking out an oil-fired boiler, you’ll get £7,500 off the price of your new heat pump installation. It’s a serious incentive to reduce your CO2 emissions. And don’t forget to think of the ‘holy trinity’!
For friendly, no obligation advice and cost-effective installations of heat pumps, Solar PV and home batteries, please call Malvern Solar 01684 437060
