The Pros & Cons of Air Source Heat Pumps

In Summary: The Pros & Cons of Air Source Heat Pumps

Choosing whether or not to install a heat pump is a big decision. There are plenty of pros and cons to weigh up before deciding, all of which we’ve covered below. 

Installation cost is the biggest negative here; typically 3x the price of a gas boiler. However, with government funding available via grants, heat pump prices end up inline with the equivalent gas boiler installation. 

The big advantage? Whilst a typical gas boiler will last 10-15 years, a heat pump is likely to last 20-25 years. 

During its lifespan you’d expect approximately 94% efficiency from a new gas boiler, but up to 469% efficiency from a heat pump. 

This equates to savings on energy bills which is a huge plus. And if you were to couple your ASHP installation with solar panels (and suitable battery storage), you could be looking at electricity bills of £0!

In terms of disadvantages, expect a heat pump to be slightly noisier than a gas boiler. But it won’t be noticeable, given heat pumps are fitted outdoors. 

Typically, heat pumps only work efficiently in well insulated properties. And to get maximum efficiency from your new unit, you may need some property upgrades (larger and more efficient radiators). This additional cost is a disadvantage, but it’ll pay for itself long-term.

Ready to get a price on a heat pump for your home? Use our clickable heat pump tool, which takes into account any government grants you’ll be eligible for, knocking up to £7,500 off your fixed price.

Advantages of Air Source Heat Pumps

Gas boilers are the most popular form of installation when it comes to central heating. 

However, there has been a huge influx of people upgrading their property to include an air source heat pump in the UK as of late.

Below are the biggest advantages of having an air source heat pump fitted, especially if you’re upgrading from an old gas, LPG, or oil boiler. 

Funding Via Government Grants

A big downside to air source heat pumps (ASHPs) in comparison to gas boilers, is their installation cost. Whilst a typical gas boiler might cost somewhere in the region of £3,000-£3,500 to install, the price for an ASHP is likely to be 3x that price. 

But, with the government pushing towards the UK becoming net-zero sooner rather than later, funding is available via grants. A heat pump is likely to cost around £10,000, then grants such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) offset up to £7,500 of that cost.

High installation costs without funding could be seen as a disadvantage, but most UK households will be eligible for grants. Using government funding, you’ll be able to get an air source heat pump fitted at a similar cost to a gas boiler, if not slightly cheaper. You can check your eligibility with our smart online tool.

Popular heat pump grants in the UK include: 

• Boiler Upgrade Scheme
• 0% VAT
• Energy Obligation Scheme (ECO4)
• Nest (Wales)
• Warmer Homes Scotland

Some grants offer free heat pumps, but eligibility criteria is strict. In general, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is the most popular grant, and gives customers access to up to £7,500 in funding.

Find out more about air source heat pump grants you might qualify here. Or, get heat pump prices on-screen using this clickable tool here. We’ll adjust the price to suit if you’re eligible for government grants.

Long Lasting

One of the biggest advantages of installing a heat pump? They can last for decades. 

If you check any reputable brand that supplies gas boilers, they suggest their boilers will last somewhere in the region of 10-15 years. For air source heat pumps, this lifespan is extended significantly to 20-25 years.

Obviously this means that you’ll be replacing your heat pump on a much less frequent basis than you would a gas boiler, with the big advantage being cash savings. But, it also means that your air source heat pump will operate for much longer before it starts developing teething problems. 

The biggest factor when it comes to your ASHPs lifespan? Regular maintenance. Getting an annual service could add on years to the lifespan of your pump.

Check out our guide covering how long heat pumps last, or, go ahead and get prices for heat pumps here.  

More Efficient Than Gas Boilers

Gas, LPG and oil boilers are incredibly inefficient. Even newer gas boilers only tend to work in the 88-94% efficiency range, less than 70% for many older units.

And this is where having an air source fitted instead becomes a huge advantage; they can operate at over 300% efficiency!

We’ve written a detailed guide to the best air source heat pumps here. If you check out the Ideal Logic Air, you’ll see it can work at up to 469% efficiency when its flow temperature is set at 40°C.

The Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCOP) for the Ideal Logic Air is therefore 4.69 at 40°C flow temperature. For every 1kWh of electricity it consumes, it’s able to convert this into 4.69kWh of heat. 

Compare that to the boiler example above (88%-94% efficient), they would only produce 0.88-0.94kWh of heat for every 1kWh of electricity they consume. 

Easily Paired With Solar Panels

As you can see above, high efficiency means potential savings on energy bills. However, to make the most out of an air source heat pump’s efficiency, you’ll want to couple them with a solar panel system, and suitable battery. 

Whilst the efficiency levels of air source heat pumps is a massive advantage compared to gas boilers, they still cost a lot to run; electricity is more expensive than gas. 

Being compatible with solar panels means you’ll be able to power your heat pump for free. And, like the majority of green energy installations these days, there are a range of options when it comes to funding from the UK government. 

At Dwellow, we fit both heat pumps and solar panels, so can easily tailor a system to incorporate the two. 

Simply use our clickable tool here. Once you’ve got fixed prices on-screen for your heat pump, simply click “Add solar panel system”. 

Disadvantages of Air Source Heat Pumps

It’s not all positive, air source heat pumps have both pros and cons. 

So below, we’ll cover some of the disadvantages. And if you want some further reading, we’ve covered heat pump disadvantages in more detail here. 

Noise

Noise from air source heat pumps is certainly noticeable. Using the Vaillant aroTHERM Plus as an example, this operates at roughly 54dB. In comparison, a gas boiler such as the Ideal Logic Plus will operate at a much lower 44dB-48dB. 

When it comes to disadvantages of heat pumps, this is certainly a focal point. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that your air source heat pump will be fitted outside. Gas boilers on the other hand are fitted inside. 

If you choose an installation area that isn’t directly below a window that you regularly leave open, it’s unlikely you’ll be affected by your pump’s noise. 

Radiator Upgrades

An overlooked part of many heating designs using a heat pump, are the suitability of radiators. Radiators used in conjunction with air source heat pumps typically need to have an output of 2.5x more than heating systems using a gas boiler. 

The efficiency gains for an air source heat pump come from them operating at low flow temperatures. An example we mentioned above is the Ideal Logic Air; it works at 469% efficiency when flow temperature is set to 40°C.

Gas boilers simply don’t work well at low temperatures, many being set to a flow temperature of around 70°C. 

If you’re considering an air source heat pump, it’s worth investing a little extra cash to have larger radiators installed. This will ensure you maximise the efficiency of your heat pump.

We’ve got a guide to fitting the right size radiators for heat pumps here. 

Installation Costs

Expect installation costs for air source heat pumps to be 3x more than the equivalent gas boiler setup. However, this is only a disadvantage if you don’t use a government grant.

We’ve detailed air source heat pumps grants here. Assuming you’ve not had government funding for a central heating upgrade in the past, it’s likely you’ll be eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. 

Via this scheme, you could get £7,500 knocked off the price of your installation. This then brings the cost of your air source heat pump install to levels similar to that of a new gas boiler.

For those luckily enough, certain schemes offer free air source heat pumps via grants. An example would be Nest, a Welsh government project.

Running Costs

There are lots of factors that are going to affect your heat pump’s efficiency and therefore, running costs, including: 

If you have an air source heat pump fitted and you don’t account for the above, your energy bills will skyrocket compared to a gas boiler, which is a huge disadvantage. 

However, if your pump runs at a low flow temperature, alongside large radiators and your property is well insulated, you’ll save cash in comparison to running a gas boiler. And remember, heat pumps can be run in conjunction with solar panels, potentially bringing your energy bills to zero!

There’s a more detailed guide to heat pump running costs here, or, you can go ahead and get fixed prices on heat pumps here.

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