How do you work out the running cost's of a heat pump?
It comes down to the Coefficient of Performance (COP): how many units of heat you get out for every unit of electricity you put in. A well-designed ASHP typically delivers a COP of 3 to 4, meaning 3-4kWh of heat for every 1kWh of electricity used. The Seasonal COP (SCOP) is the more honest figure, since it averages performance across a full UK winter rather than a single lab test. The Compress 5800i AW is designed to hold strong SCOP figures even through the North East’s damp, cold spells, not just on a mild October afternoon.
Will it actually be cheaper to run than my gas boiler?
It depends on your electricity and gas prices, and on how well the system’s been designed for your home. That’s the honest answer, not a sales line. As electricity and gas prices move closer together, the gap narrows in the heat pump’s favour, and a heat pump run at a genuinely optimised flow temperature will usually beat a modern gas boiler on running cost.
Where people get burned is a poorly sized or badly set-up system running inefficiently, which is exactly why we do a room-by-room heat loss survey rather than fit a generic unit and hope for the best.
What can I do to get the best running costs?
Three things make the biggest difference
– Proper sizing at survey (so the system isn’t fighting to keep up or short-cycling).
– Radiators sized for lower flow temperatures where needed.
– Decent loft/wall insulation so the heat you’re paying for actually stays in the house.
We’ll flag this at the free home survey stage.
Does my electricity tariff make a difference?
Yes, and it’s one of the easiest wins available. A time-of-use or Economy 7 style tariff lets you run more of your heating and hot water on cheaper night-rate electricity, which can meaningfully improve your day-to-day running cost without changing anything about the heat pump itself.
We’ll talk through whether your current tariff suits a heat pump at the home survey, and flag it if switching would be worth looking into.