Facts about heat pump power consumption

You might be thinking of switching to a heat pump because of its environmental or financial benefits. Is a heat pump truly energy efficient? Let’s take a closer look at heat pump power consumption and see how you can enjoy improved efficiency and lower costs with a heat pump in your home.

Heat pump power consumption

Heat pumps are a sustainable climate control system. They extract heat from the air, water or ground outside and use it to provide heating, cooling or hot water for your home.

Unless you’re using a heat pump as part of a hybrid system - where you combine a heat pump with a gas boiler - you’re not relying on fossil fuels and won’t be paying for any gas at all.

Heat pumps draw up to 75 % of their energy needs from nature for free, with the remainder powered by electricity to drive the compressor and heat exchanger. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a high electricity bill.

Several factors determine how much electricity a heat pump uses. These include the climate, the size of your home and how well insulated it is, and whether the heat pump is providing hot water or cooling.

Generally, efficient consumption depends on having the right heat pump, installed correctly and used properly.

Heat pump efficiency

Heat pump electricity consumption is based on what’s known as the seasonal coefficient of performance (CoP), which allows for variation in performance across a year. A pump has to work harder in the winter than in the summer.

The CoP is calculated by measuring the energy put in (electricity) and the energy (heat) put out. A heat pump typically produces 4 kWh of heat from 1 kWh of electrical energy, which can be cheaper than your gas bills over a year. And there are ways you can boost efficiency further.

Insulation affects the efficiency of any heating system. Ensure all your walls, loft cavities and windows are properly insulated to lessen a heat pump’s workload, and therefore its consumption.

You can also minimise consumption by:

• making sure the heat pump is properly set up and adjusted for your heating system;
• keeping the temperature relatively constant rather than turning it right down at night;
• restricting the flow temperature of the heating water to a comfortable level;
• regularly maintaining your system.

To really maximise efficiency and cut electricity use, consider combining a heat pump with other systems such as underfloor heating and solar panels.

Heat pump and solar panels

When you combine a heat pump with solar panels, the efficiency of both systems can significantly increase. During winter when the sun shines less, a heat pump can provide heating because it draws heat from the air or ground. In summer, solar panels can power the heat pump without relying on the electrical grid.

A solar panel and heat pump combination can take the CoP to four or more units of heat provided for every unit of energy consumed.

Pairing a heat pump with solar panels supercharges its efficiency, resulting in less electricity being drawn from the grid and reduced costs. It enables homeowners to become more energy independent - generating their own power without relying on utility companies.