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Heat pumps are an increasingly popular home heating system. As the UK moves towards net zero carbon emissions, the government is pushing to ban the installation of new gas boilers by 2035. Alternative green energy heating methods are something that many of us will soon become accustomed to. One of the most effective of these is the ground source heat pump. The initial cost of installation can seem daunting, but there are government grants available to help reduce the burden, and you are likely to save money on your energy in the long run.
Before we go into the details, the average supply and installation costs for a ground source heat pump are £12,000-£50,000. In comparison, the average cost of supplying and installing a gas boiler is £1,000-£5,000 and an air source heat pump is £2,000-£20,000.
A ground source heat pump is powered by electricity but it is still considered a green energy heating system because it creates many times more heat output than energy input.
The energy efficiency of a ground source heat pump is 300%-450%. This means that for every unit of electricity used to power the heat pump, it will emit 3-4.5 units of heat.
A ground source heat pump uses the heat in the ground outside to heat your property and its hot water.
A network of pipes is laid underneath the ground, either horizontally or vertically, that carry water and antifreeze. As the water moves through the pipes, it absorbs heat from the surrounding ground.
This heat is then transferred to a refrigerant liquid inside the heat pump via a heat exchanger, which is heated until it evaporates into a gas. This gas is compressed to make it even hotter and is taken to another heat exchanger inside the property so that it can heat the water in your heating system.
Check out: How Does A Ground Source Heat Pump Work
There are two main types of ground source heat pumps: horizontal loop systems and vertical loop systems. A horizontal heat pump is best if you have a lot of usable land outside your property whereas a vertical heat pump is best if you are short on land, although it is the more expensive option.
If you happen to have a suitable body of water nearby, you could install a water source heat pump. This is a type of ground source heat pump that obtains its heat from water rather than earth. Water source heat pumps can either be closed or open-loop.
With a horizontal loop system, the pipes are laid in a network of horizontal trenches to create a ground loop. For an average-sized property, you would need two or three horizontal loops of pipes.
These would each consist of 200 metres of pipe, with 100 metres going away from the property and 100 metres going back to the property. They should be 1-2 metres deep.
The three loops will need to be spaced apart and, on average, you would need between 500 and 1,000 square metres of land, with most properties needing between 700 and 800 square metres.
A horizontal ground source heat pump is cheaper than a vertical one. On average, it will cost between £12,000 and £30,000. This includes the cost of the ground work, installing the heat pump itself, connecting it to your central heating system, and any internal modifications such as new radiators, pipework, or underfloor heating.
If you don't have the available land for a horizontal ground source heat pump, a vertical system could work well. These don't require anywhere near the amount of land to operate and that is because, instead of building a network of horizontal trenches, deep vertical boreholes are used instead.
The downside is that it costs a lot more for deep borehole installation than it does for shallow trenches.
The average-sized home would need one to three boreholes. These need to be between 50 and 200 metres long and 110-150mm in diameter. A U-shaped pipe is placed in each to carry the water.
The boreholes should be spaced apart and, in total, you would only need 100 to 200 square metres of land, which is much less than for a horizontal system.
On average, you could expect to pay between £18,000 and £50,000 for a vertical system. The biggest cost will depend on the heating demands of the property and how many boreholes need to be drilled. Each borehole costs around £10,000 to drill.
Water source heat pumps work in the same way as other ground source heat pumps but instead of the network of pipes absorbing heat from the ground, they absorb heat from a nearby available water source.
A closed-loop system is identical to a normal ground source heat pump. The pipes carry a liquid that absorbs the heat from the water outside, then they take the heat back to heat the refrigerant liquid so that it can be transferred to the property's heating system.
An open-loop heat pump system works differently. It takes the water directly from the water source into the pipes and takes it back to the heat pump for heat exchange. The water is not looped back in and instead is discharged. New water is then taken from the water source.
Water source heat pumps can be cheaper to install than either vertical or horizontal ground source heat pumps. This is because less extensive drilling or trenching is needed. On average, you can expect to pay between £10,000 and £20,000 for supply and installation. They are only a viable option, however, if you have a suitable water source nearby.
This could be groundwater wells or surface water such as lakes or ponds.
Air source heat pumps are a cheaper option again. Rather than taking the outdoor heat from underneath the ground, they take it directly from the air outside. Because of this, they don't require any land space at all and can even be installed in flats.
They are less efficient than ground source heat pumps, however, and will generally have higher running costs. Outside air temperature is much more variable than ground temperatures, so the heat pump will need to work harder to absorb heat from the air during colder months.
The average cost of an air source heat pump is between £2,000 and £20,000.
Explore further: How Much To Install Air Source Heat Pump System
There are various government grants available that can help reduce the cost of installing a ground source heat pump. The government is committed to reducing the country's carbon emissions and is laying out incentives to encourage the population to switch to greener heating methods.
Learn more: How To Apply For Air Source Heat Pump Grant
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) will pay £7,500 towards the cost of installing a ground source heat pump, water source heat pump, or air-to-water air source heat pump (not an air-to-air model). In some cases, it can also be used for biomass boilers.
To be eligible, you will need to own the property and it has to be located in England or Wales, although you don't have to be living in it. You can get the grant even if you are renting the property out to tenants or it is a business premises.
The heat pump will need to be used to replace a fossil fuel boiler, not a different renewable energy system. You will still be eligible, however, if you have already had an energy efficiency grant for insulation.
Your property must also have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This is a certificate that shows the energy efficiency of the building and it is valid for 10 years.
The heat pump must be installed by a professional heat pump installer who is MCS-certified. They will apply for the scheme on your behalf.
Explore: Can Air Source Heat Pump Replace An Oil Boiler
The Home Energy Scotland Scheme (HES) is similar to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. It provides grants and interest-free loans for clean energy systems, including air source, water source, and ground source heat pumps.
If you are eligible, you can receive a £7,500 grant towards the cost of the heat pump, and you will also have the option of an additional £7,500 interest-free loan.
If you live in a rural area in Scotland, you may also be eligible for an additional rural uplift grant of £1,500.
For those living in a rural area, this could equal funding of £16,500, and for those in non-rural areas, funding of £15,000. This will knock a significant chunk off the cost of the installation cost.
The eligibility criteria for the HES are different from the BUS. You will need to own the property and it will also need to be your primary residence.
Your installer won't apply for the scheme on your behalf. You will need to contact Home Energy Scotland yourself and go through the application process. Although, you will need a quote from an MCS-certified installer before you apply. You will also need an EPC certificate.
A ground source heat pump is one of the most energy-efficient methods of heating your home. You can calculate the energy efficiency using the coefficient of performance (CoP) calculation. It represents the ratio of the heat output versus the electricity input.
Ground source heat pumps have an average CoP of 4, which translates to a 400% efficiency level. Gas boilers have an average efficiency of 90%.
At first glance, it looks as though your energy savings are going to be through the roof when you switch from a gas boiler to a ground source heat pump and, while you probably will make some savings, it may not be as dramatic as it seems. The problem is energy prices.
Fossil fuel boilers that run on gas are at an advantage because gas prices are generally low. At the moment they are around 6p per kilowatt per hour (kWh).
In contrast, electricity, which is how ground source heat pumps are powered, is currently around 24.50p per kWh.
This much higher cost of electricity will have an impact on the energy savings you can expect.
Let's do an example calculation to see how this may impact your energy costs.
We'll take an average house with a yearly energy need of 10,000kWh. If a gas boiler runs at 90% efficiency, it will need to generate 11,111kWh to meet this need. With gas prices at 6p per kWh, this works out as an annual running cost of £666.66 or £55.55 per month.
A ground source heat pump works at 400% efficiency. This will reduce the amount of energy it needs to generate to meet the house's need to 2,500kWh. With electricity prices of 24.50p per kWh, this works out as a yearly running cost of £612.50 or £51.04 per month.
To gain the most energy savings from your ground source heat pump, you should look at additional methods of reducing your running costs.
There are specific energy tariffs available now that are designed for heat pump households. An example is the Octopus Energy Cosy tariff. This is a smart energy tariff that has three periods a day where electricity prices are cheaper. If you use these periods, then you can reduce your energy costs by up to £300 per year.
Insulation is key to improving your energy efficiency. Many homes in the UK are poorly insulated and this will have a more significant impact on heat pump running costs than fossil fuel boilers.
This is because heat pumps are designed to work at a constant lower flow temperature, rather than cycling on and off at a higher temperature.
When heat is lost and the temperature in the room drops below the desired level, this forces the heat pump to work beyond its maximum efficiency level, increasing your electricity costs.
You can get help with installing your insulation with the government's Great British Insulation Scheme. If you have an EPC rating of D to G, you may receive free or cheap insulation to improve your home's energy efficiency.
You can combine your ground source heat pump with your existing heating system and radiators and it will work. But if you want to maximise your efficiency, it can be worth investing in underfloor heating or, at the very least, larger radiators.
Normal radiators are designed for gas boilers which heat the water to a much higher temperature than ground source heat pumps. This higher temperature means that the radiator can deliver heat to the entire room from a relatively small surface area.
Ground source heat pumps, on the other hand, heat the water to a lower temperature and this doesn't work as well with a small surface area. The heat is transferred less efficiently to the room and the heat pump may need to work harder to raise the temperature further.
Installing a heat distribution system with a larger surface area can help your heat pump to work more efficiently. An oversized radiator increases the surface area and allows the lower-temperature heat to better raise the temperature of the room.
Some models come with additional fins to make the surface area even larger and even fans to blow the heat into the room.
Underfloor heating, however, is the gold standard for efficient ground source heat pump operation. It has a network of pipes laid beneath the floor that deliver heat throughout the room.
This larger surface area allows lower flow temperatures to efficiently heat the room, especially because it is evenly distributed rather than radiating from a single source.
Oversized radiators will cost between £100 and £300 each. Underfloor heating systems cost between £500 and £8,000. Most people will choose a mix of both to heat the entire property, with underfloor heating in the most used rooms and radiators elsewhere.
Ground source heat pumps are highly energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and future-proof. Before too long, gas boilers and other types of fossil fuel boilers will be obsolete.
By investing in a ground source heat pump, you are ensuring that your property is covered now and in the future.
We understand that the upfront cost of installing a ground source heat pump can seem daunting, especially compared to the lower cost of a gas boiler, but they are a long-term investment.
We are committed to ensuring that you have the highest quality installation with the most state-of-the-art heat pump system to make sure it is as efficient and powerful as possible.
We will work closely with you to guarantee that the heat pump meets your needs and works well for your property. We will visit your home and assess your current heating system, the amount of available land, and other factors to advise on the best type of system for you.
In terms of installation, we will give you a clear and detailed upfront quote so that you know before we start how much you can expect to pay. We will also give you suggestions for other modifications to your home that could increase your energy efficiency.
Contact us today to start your ground source heat pump journey.
Ground source heat pumps work by extracting heat from the ground outside and transferring it to the heating system inside the property. Ground source heat pump installations are many times more expensive than gas boilers, but they do deliver a much more efficient system that will save money on energy in the long run. There are government grants available to help with the cost of heat pump installation and they are compliant with the government's net zero plans to ban gas boilers and other fossil fuel methods.
