| Well, sort of. The thing is, heat pumps aren't a particularly good deal right now. Heat pumps generally have less heat output than a gas boiler, so it won't make your house any warmer. Even taking government subsidies into account, the installation costs are several times higher than a gas boiler, both for the unit and often requiring new radiators and suchlike. And typical energy prices in the UK might be 6.5p/kWh for gas, 26.0p/kWh for electricity - so even if your heat pump achieves a 3.0 CoP your running costs are still higher. In the UK, the months when you'll want the most heating are the months when domestic solar output will be at its lowest. To make savings you've got to switch to a plan where electricity costs change several times a day, such as https://octopus.energy/smart/cosy-octopus/ and not run your heating between 16:00 - 19:00. This makes a well-insulated home even more important. And you might think you're going to save money by not paying the gas supply 'standing charge' - but gas suppliers can charge whatever they like to remove your meter. If they say it's £1500 to remove your gas meter and save you 30p/day - you're probably not going to be saving 30p/day So it's less a case of "investing" in the house, and more a case of "investing" in good karma by helping the environment. |