With the weather getting colder as we move closer to winter, more attention than ever has been given to staying warm whilst trying to combat climate change. The combination of the COP26 climate change conference and rising energy prices have led to more interest and investment in renewable energy.
Here at Accurate Mechanical Services, we have begun offering heat pump installations for all of our customers. The UK Government has promoted this alternative way of managing your property’s air temperatures as a critical way of reducing the number of gas boilers being used. Grants of up to £5000 have been announced for anyone looking to add heat pumps to their properties from April 2022.
Continue reading to learn more about using heat pumps as commercial and industrial heating and air conditioning methods, and how Accurate Mechanical Services can install them on your property.
What is a Heat Pump?
A simple way to understand heat pumps is to view them as reverse fridges, with warmth being extracted from an outside location before being concentrated and moved inside your home. There are multiple forms of heat pumps available, depending on their mechanism and the source of heat they use. Here are two popular types of this technology:
- Ground-to-water heat pumps work by transferring heat from under the ground around your home to power your radiators, underfloor heating, or hot water taps. In this case, a mixture of water and antifreeze (known as ‘brine’) flows around pipes that are buried in your garden or outdoor spaces. The pipe loops that come with ground source heat pumps can either be buried in a trench or placed in a narrow but deep borehole.
- Air source heat pumps absorb heat from the air outside your home to heat or cool the inside of your commercial building and power your hot water sources. Whilst they deliver heat at lower temperatures than gas and oil commercial boilers, these are still a fantastic option to keep your well-insulated property comfortable whilst reducing your energy consumption.
This reliable way of heating and cooling your property is becoming increasingly popular, with over 1.5 million heat pumps installed across Europe in 2020. So what help is there to encourage more UK homeowners to make the same change?
Household Grants for Heat Pumps Now Available
To encourage the installation of heat pumps in UK properties, the Government is offering subsidiaries of up to £5,000 to help homeowners switch from electric and gas boilers from April 2022. Replacing traditional commercial boilers with this option that provides better energy efficiency whilst reducing a household’s carbon footprint and being more cost-efficient is a brilliant opportunity.
However, this grant is only expected to be able to cover around 90,000 homes. This represents a fraction of the 25 million UK homes that currently use gas boilers, accounting for 21% of the UK’s carbon emissions. Whilst the right idea is in place, this plan needs to be expanded considerably for all UK homes to transfer to environmentally-friendly heating.
Gas Boilers vs. Heat Pumps
Gas boilers are a common option for commercial heating systems in the UK because of the low installation cost and the widespread availability of technicians who can complete any repairs. However, changes in laws and prices due to global warming will lead to these benefits diminishing over the coming years.
As previously mentioned, there has been widespread news reporting of the increases in wholesale energy tariffs within the UK. If your commercial building uses a gas boiler to provide the crucial warmth you need this winter, this could be very concerning news. Anyone looking for a way to reduce their energy costs should consider heat pumps, which are far more cost-efficient than standard gas boilers.
Given the increase in reporting of climate change issues amplified by the COP26 summit in Glasgow, there’s increased pressure on world leaders to implement widespread changes that could reduce greenhouse emissions. The UK Government is now looking to ban any new gas boilers being sold after 2035 (although a ban hasn’t been officially announced yet).
Speak to Commercial Heating Experts
With this possible timeframe to encourage homeowners to move from gas and oil boilers to eco-friendly alternatives, heat pumps are quickly becoming a popular option for properties across the UK. If you’re considering adding one to your home, contact Accurate Mechanical Services today, and we can provide a free estimate and site survey.