Electric Heating


Heat pumps: an energy-saving alternative


With energy prices rising again at the start of January, renewable self-generation is becoming more common in homes across the UK.


J


ordan Brompton, co-founder and CMO of myenergi, explains why and discusses whether or not now is the right time to install a heat pump. Widely available and proven to deliver immediate benefi ts, heat pumps can provide an energy-saving alternative to traditional gas boilers and electric heaters. Last year, the Microgeneration Certifi cation Scheme (MCS) offi cially reported the UK’s 250,000th


certifi ed heat


pump installation. More interestingly still, 30,000 units were installed in the fi rst half of 2024 alone, marking a 45% increase from the same period the previous year and demonstrating skyrocketing demand.


This growth may be, in part, due to the Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which off ers grants of up to £7,500 for the purchase and installation of both air- and ground-source heat pumps. This scheme has been so successful that, as of next fi nancial year and under the new Warm Homes Plan, the budget for boiler upgrades is set to almost double to reach £295 million. However, alongside fi nancial support now available, the allure of energy independence is almost equally as attractive.


Heat pumps: a brief summary Heat pumps use electricity to transfer heat between spaces, providing heating and cooling for buildings. Unlike more traditional systems, like gas boilers and air conditioning units, heat pumps enable two-way heat transfer. This means you can pump heat into a room, or channel it out of a room, which enables more consistent temperature control with greater energy effi ciency.


Heat pumps work by circulating refrigerant through a cycle of evaporation and condensation. This makes heat pumps extremely eff ective at regulating indoor temperatures year- round, not only in winter.


Another big advantage of heat pumps is that they are a passive technology – the ideal indoor temperature can be set and the pump can be


18 | electrical wholesalerFebruary 2025


left to work autonomously. The end result is a noticeably cheaper energy bill – up to and around £340 per year according to the Energy Saving Trust.


While the technology is next-generation, heat pumps rely on electricity to operate. If drawn from the grid, this reduces energy saving potential. If fed by home-grown renewables, however, the whole process is almost completely self-suffi cient.


Enter solar power


According to the MCS, domestic solar panel installations are booming in popularity. In fact, there are now more than 1.5 million certifi ed systems operational across the UK, and rising daily.


As both solar PV and heat pump technology continue to evolve, it’s not hard to see how the two technologies can work well together, with renewable solar electricity used to power renewable heating. One smart device that can be used to bridge these two technologies is a power diverter.


Rather than exporting surplus self-generated electricity back to the grid, power diverters, like myenergi’s ‘eddi’, diverts energy to a designated heating appliance, such as an air- or ground-


source heat pump, space heating, or even into your immersion element. Devices equipped with smart functionality can even be confi gured to send energy to multiple heating appliances in sequence, automatically switching between devices to provide even greater energy effi ciency. While it’s not a requirement for households to utilise solar PV to power their heat pumps, homeowners that do opt for both will see the greatest long-term benefi ts. When PV is generating low volumes, such as on a cloudy day, good power diverts can automatically ‘trickle charge’ energy to a water heater – off setting the need to draw power from the grid. Once panels reach a higher load, these devices will divert power directly to the heat pump.


A bright future for heat pumps? As we continue to look for new ways to reduce our energy bills, innovative technologies like heat pumps will prove crucial. Not only do they help tackle rising energy costs while delivering year- round temperature control, but they also to help us to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. When integrated with technologies like PV and power diverters, homeowners can truly maximise their energy savings while minimising their carbon footprint.


ewnews.co.uk


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