Boiler Upgrade Grants to install Air Source Heat Pumps

Boiler Upgrade Grants help you to install an Air Source Heat Pump in your home

How do Air Source Heat Pumps Work?

Air source heat pumps absorb heat from the air outside your home. This can be transferred inside to heat central heating radiators and to provide hot water.

They can even work when the temperature outside is below zero.

Inside an air source heat pump there are several important components which extract heat from the air and use to to heat your home.

A fan sucks air from outside into the air source heat pump.
An evaporator transfers heat from this air to a liquid in a sealed network of pipes, which similar to that in your refrigerator. The heat causes the refrigerant liquid to evaporate and turn into a gas.
This gas is directed into a compressor, which compresses it, causing the temperature of the gas to increase substantially.
The heated gas is transferred to a condenser where it is cooled and condenses back to a liquid. The act of cooling this hot gas releases the heat which is used to heat water which travels through your central heating radiators and to provide hot water at your taps.
Now that the hot refrigerant gas has converted to a cool refrigerant liquid, an expansion valve releases it to start the process all over again. In essence the whole process is continuous.

Boiler Upgrade Grants help you to install an Air Source Heat Pump in your home

Benefits of Air Source Heat Pumps

Very little maintenance required. An annual check of the main components, cleaning the filters and a safety check is all that is needed.
Air source heat pumps are highly controllable and maintain a stable temperature inside your home rather than causing swings in temperature as with boiler run heating systems.
No more oil, LPG or coal deliveries required if you currently use an oil, LPG or solid fuel boiler.
Air source heat pumps will reduce your heating bills.
Because of the way that air source heat pumps operate, the component parts last a long time and long warranties are normal.
Switching to an air source heat pump will reduce your carbon footprint.
RHI incentives are available for 7 years after installation.

Boiler Upgrade Grants help you to install an Air Source Heat Pump in your home

Air Source Heat Pumps FAQs

How much space do I need for an air source heat pump?

Air source heat pumps are about the same size and shape of an air conditioning unit and you will need space outside where the unit can be installed. This should be either against a wall or on the ground.

Your air source heat pump will also need space around it to provide a good air flow but should be within 1 metre of your boundary due to restrictions regarding planning permission.

Boiler Upgrade Grants help you to install an Air Source Heat Pump in your home

Will an air source heat pump help to cut my energy bills?

In most cases, yes.

The less efficient your current heating system is, the more you will have to gain by installing a air source heat pump.

If your boiler uses coal or LPG, or you have an electrical heating system at the moment, you will achieve a greater saving by switching to an air source heat pump than if your boiler uses mains gas.

Boiler Upgrade Grants help you to install an Air Source Heat Pump in your home

Are grants available to help install air source heat pumps?

From 1st April 2022 grants may be available from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to help pay for the installation of an air source heat pump or other renewable heating systems in your home.

Boiler Upgrade Grants help you to install an Air Source Heat Pump in your home

How important is the insulation in my home to air source heat pumps?

It is very important.

Air source heat pumps produce heat at a lower temperature over a longer period of time than similar oil or gas heating systems. Consequently, your home will need to be very well insulated so that you can take full advantage of your new air source heat pump.

Boiler Upgrade Grants help you to install an Air Source Heat Pump in your home

How Much Do Air Source Heat Pumps Cost?

Air Source Heat Pumps cost between £9,000 and £15,000 to supply and install but costs are falling.

The reason for the wide range of prices is mainly down to the size of air source heat pump you require to provide adequate heating and hot water to your home.

Also, because air source heat pumps operate at a lower temperature (but for a longer period of time) than conventional central heating boilers, you may need to increase the size of some of your radiators.

When investing in an air source heat pump, you need to take into account the savings in your heating bills over its lifetime. And also the fact that most properly maintained air source heat pumps should last 20 to 25 years; more than twice the lifetime of a conventional boiler. Annual servicing costs for air source heat pumps should also be lower than for boilers.

Renewable Heat Incentive

The Renewable Heat Incentive ended on 31st March 2022

Boiler Upgrade Grants help you to install an Air Source Heat Pump in your home

Who are the main manufacturers of Air Source Heat Pumps?