Heat pumps are the new thing that the government is encouraging all households to switch to instead of a traditional boiler.
A heat pump takes low-temperature heat from the air outdoors and then increases that heat. The heat is then transferred into water that circulates around radiators in your house or an underfloor heating system. The heat pump then uses electricity to drive a compressor that increases the temperature of the heat source very efficiently – like your fridge, but in reverse!
For the heat pump to work most effectively, the house needs to be well insulated. This is best achieved through investing in good loft insulation and modern windows and doors if your home does not have these already. You may also want to consider replacing older radiators with new, larger more efficient ones to ensure that the heating system operates effectively.
You can also get hot water from a modern domestic heat pump. To do this, you would need a hot water cylinder. If you already have one of these with your current gas boiler system, it is likely that you will need to change this for a specific cylinder that is designed to work with the heat pump.
So there may be quite a large amount of initial set up costs involved, however over time the heat pump system should save you money on your monthly bills.