You may have recently heard people talking about electric heating, especially with the current national conversation about saving energy amidst massive energy price hikes. However, when people refer to electric heating, they are generally talking about heat pumps. Electric heating is simply a colloquial term that people adopted because electricity is used, in part, to create this heat, but they are actually mistaking one thing for another.
Let’s look at the actual breakdown of how the heat is generated with a heat pump:
- 70% of the heat is from the air, and only 30% is from the electric compressor!
What is actually happening is that a heat pump draws heat from a low temperature heat source such as the ground or the external air with the use of a compressor. The heat pump is using the electricity to move the heating energy from the outside to the inside. In fact, it works much like a refrigerator that transfers heat from a cool place to a warm place which in turn makes the cool place even cooler and the warm place warmer. So, you can see why someone might refer to a heat pump as electric heating.
Now that we’ve explained the definitions of electric heating and heat pumps, let’s now look at what sets them apart.
What are the main differences between electric heating and heat pumps?
The basic difference is that electric heating is produced by generating heat through electric coils in an electric furnace normally using storage heaters whereas heat pumps don’t use electricity to actually heat anything. Instead, they use it to simply move heating from an external source (ground or air) to the inside of a building.
Electric storage heating is a lot more expensive to operate. A heat pump is a great alternative as it can lower your heating costs by up to 70% – depending on the outside temperature at the time.
Heating your entire house with electric heating would carry considerable costs especially with energy costs rising. The perfect solution is a heat pump which can provide heating for your home at a fraction of the cost to you and the environment.
Heat pumps also work exceptionally well in winter. You can save up to 70% off your annual heating costs compared to storage type central heating or other forms of heating. These older alternatives rely heavily on fossil fuels now that energy prices on these fuels have increased significantly.
Are heat pumps sustainable?
They can dramatically reduce electricity consumption and operate at efficiencies of up to 400%. This means that for every unit of electricity that is consumed, four units of thermal energy are created. The same cannot be said for traditional heating systems as they may only achieve up to 100% efficiency. Savings are also instantly apparent as you will require only 25% of the electricity to heat your home with a heat pump. When you compare this to an existing electric storage system you can see the savings immediately.
Heat pumps produce no emissions which will help with our carbon footprint reduction. If you opt for a ground source heat pump, you will be benefitting from the most environmentally-friendly and efficient way to heat your home.
Is it easy to switch from existing heating systems to a heat pump?
You can change from oil, gas, electric or coal to a heat pump and it can be relatively straightforward to do. You will need to ensure your home has the following before installation:
- Adequate insulation
- existing radiators and or underfloor heating
- the required outdoor and indoor space to house the units
Once you satisfy these factors, you are well on your way to reaching your goal of changing to a heat pump. Your house will be assessed before any work is completed and you will be in capable hands during the process when dealing with a professional installer; knowing that you are making a well-informed decision.
Why MasterTherm?
Heat pumps can be used in any property that requires heating or cooling but they are primarily used to provide hot water or to power a heating system. They are also increasingly being used in commercial and industrial settings replacing traditional fossil fuels. A MasterTherm heat pump can be an efficient way of repurposing heat energy that otherwise would have been wasted. This will make homes and businesses more sustainable and economical. MasterTherm heat pumps are ultra-quiet, have a 7-year warranty, give you lower heating bills and can be controlled easily from a tablet or phone.
MasterTherm will design and tailor a personalised heating system to suit your property’s requirements, whether it’s for a complex monitored heating and cooling system using rejected heat or a central heating system with a simple hot water demand. We will ensure that you get the maximum benefit from your heat pump system.
If you’re looking for a heating and hot water solution for a large complex building we may suggest multiple heat pumps working together. If you are unsure about how to start the journey to renewables using heat pumps, contact us and we can start by creating a bespoke design for your heating system.