Air Source Heat Pumps v/s Gas Boilers – The debate continues
Air Source Heat Pumps v/s Gas Boilers The debate continues
The efficiency of the gas boiler in your home does depend upon its type and age. If you are using a condensing gas boiler it would be much naturally energy efficient as compared to a boiler installed before the 1990s which is known to consume more gas energy and hence you could receive high energy bills
The measurement of the Coefficient of Performance CoP of a boiler and an air source heat pumps itself reveals that air source heat pumps are far superior as compared to boilers. Trials show that a condensing boiler enjoys a CoP of 2.24 approx. while the air source heat pump is likely to enjoy a COP in the range of 3 4 at 0 degree Celsius. You could always calculate the gas energy prices with electricity energy prices in UK and conclude that air source heat pumps provide heat at cost effective prices for they consume less energy as compared to gas boilers and thereby reduce energy bills to a great extent.
The other important factor to bear in mind is the atmospheric temperature which influences the air source heating pump. Low temperatures imply increasing usage of electricity while slightly high temperatures imply less consumption of electricity in order to generate heat. This implies air source heat pumps utilize less electric energy and thus emit less carbon, thereby reducing energy bills to a great extent.
The most influencing factor being the use of renewable energy source i.e. solar energy while gas boiler need gas to function which reiterates your need for non renewable energy which offset higher amounts of carbon whilst increasing your energy bills.
Thus, these points make you take the right decision that air source heat pumps are cost effective as well eco friendly enabling you to reduce your carbon offset while lowering your energy bills to a great extent.
Elaborating further on the advantages of air source heat pumps, these pumps are easy and cheap to install. They can be placed at a suitable place either within your property or outside. Since most of these air source heat pumps are external installations, they do not require much digging or pipe work to be laid out. In case of installation of air source pumps for domestic use, their size could be similar to that of an air conditioner. These pumps do not make much noise while they are equally effective in providing heat in extremely cold conditions as well.
These Heat pump systems are long lasting, easy to maintain and can easily fit into your existing heating system. They can be utilized to heat swimming pools and for cooling purposes as well. UK Government offers grants and additional support to those who decide to install air source heat pumps.