Life with a heat pump ‘couldn’t be cosier’

If you're renovating, it’s a great time to think about upgrading to a heat pump, explained Rhiannon, who has renovated her family home over the last three years.

The property was run down, having been a rental for 30 years and had an old gas boiler. 

As well as insulation and new lime render, the family decided to fit an air source heat pump, reducing their carbon emissions and using less energy to heat their home. 

“The upfront cost was a consideration for us, but we knew we only wanted to do this type of work once, so we wanted to get it right the first time,” explained Rhiannon.

“We were able to use the UK Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme. We applied for the £7,500 grant through our installers, who submitted the application on our behalf, so it was really very easy!

“Now our home couldn’t be cosier,” said Rhiannon. Their heating operates on a low temperature so it runs for longer periods than a gas boiler usually would, but it still uses less energy.

“We have thermostats around the house keeping an eye on our room temperatures, so the house never gets cold or hot, it’s just consistent. It's the same when you move around the house, we don't have cold spots now.

“When we had gas we found it provided high heat for a short time and then quickly got cold again when you turned it off - never quite right.”

To control the heating and hot water, Rhiannon’s family use a touch-screen on the wall which lets them quickly adjust any settings, like turning off the heat pump when they go on holiday or to check the temperature of their hot water.

It’s had a positive effect on their bills too.

“Since we’re off the gas supply, we only pay for electricity and we can maximise savings by using tariffs that vary throughout the day, meaning the house can warm up when electricity is cheap!

“When the wind really blows and there’s a lot of renewable energy on the grid, so sometimes our electricity is free.” 

Next Rhiannon’s family plan to access a Green Homes Wales interest-free loan to install solar panels and a battery.

“As the heat pump is so energy efficient, we’re hopeful there will be times when our old Victorian terrace is operating fully on renewable energy in the near future - with almost no bills.” said Rhiannon.

“We didn’t think that was possible when we started out, but if we can do it in this run-down old building, it’s possible in any terraced house.”

See for yourself

Rhiannon is now a host with the Visit a Heat Pump service which is free and easy to use.

By visiting the website, you can search for a local host who’s happy to answer questions about their own heat pump and sign up for a visit. You can hear all about their experiences with installation and find out how much they’ve saved on their yearly bills.

Free advice

You can also get help with energy efficiency in your home from Nest.

They can give you free, impartial advice on what measures you might consider for your home, and chat through the grants and interest-free loans that are available.