What do consumers ask?

Daikin has sponsored the Climate Zone at the BBC Earth Experience in London. Registered Gas Engineer caught up with the company to find out the kind of questions that visitors ask most often.

Q. Where would I put the heat pump in my house and how much space do I need?

There are lots of models of heat pumps that work for different homes. Outdoor heat pump units require little space. They are compact and can be placed on the outside walls of a home, in gardens or even behind sheds.

For example, the Daikin Altherma Monobloc is the ideal solution for homes with limited space. No additional indoor unit is required, apart from a hot water tank, and the heat pump can fit right under a window to save outdoor space.

Q. How much does it cost to install?

Although the initial installation of a heat pump is an investment, the government does offer financial support to those who embrace the technology.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme launched in England and Wales in April 2022 to help the decarbonisation of buildings. It provides upfront grants of £5,000 to support the installation of air source heat pumps, and £6,000 for ground source heat pumps in homes.

Homeowners in Scotland can apply for a grant of up to £7,500 from the Home Energy Scotland Scheme to install a heat pump, with an extra £1,500 available to those in rural areas.

Q. How much does it cost to run and how much can I save compared with a gas boiler?

One of the biggest benefits of installing a heat pump, particularly given the high cost of gas, is the saving that can be made on energy bills. Running costs and savings do vary per property and system but, on average, a heat pump will save 5-10 per cent in annual running costs compared with gas heating.

That means that, over the 15-year lifetime of a heat pump, an average three-bedroom house could save almost £3,000 compared to gas,* including the initial purchase and installation, maintenance and running costs. These savings more than double when replacing an oil boiler and could increase dramatically if a house also has PV solar panels. A larger four-bedroom home would save nearly £12,000 if using a heat pump instead of LPG.

While you can’t put a monetary value on it, air source heat pumps are much more sustainable and environmentally friendly than gas or oil-based systems.

Research conducted by Daikin has uncovered that 68 per cent of homeowners aren’t aware that heat pumps are significantly more energy efficient than gas boilers**. Gas boilers operate at 70-90 per cent efficiency compared to 300-400 per cent for heat pumps. This means that heat pumps are not only better for the environment but leave households far less exposed to price changes on the global gas market.

Seeing is believing

Daikin created and designed the Climate Zone to help visitors to the BBC Earth Experience learn more about the eco-heating solutions they could adopt in their own home. The zone is just outside the main venue.

Through sponsorship of the venue, Daikin wants to educate audiences on the benefits of low-carbon heating and cooling solutions and demonstrate its commitment to lowering the carbon footprint of UK homes and buildings.

The Climate Zone offers visitors the opportunity to discover how they can reduce their carbon footprint and find out more about air source heat pumps through a range of interactive digital tools and videos. This includes a model Daikin Altherma unit, set up in glass casing, for people to learn how the system works, as well as a Daikin air purifier which helps keep indoor air fresh and clean and remove harmful particles.

The Daikin Climate Zone team are on hand to discuss every aspect of making the switch to a heat pump, answer questions about the technologies and provide information on the financial support available to homeowners. The zone will be open to visitors for two years.

Q. Are they noisy?

When operating in standard modes, Daikin heat pumps produce less than 40 decibels of sound: that’s equivalent to a quiet library.

Q. Will a heat pump still heat my home if the temperature outside is low?

Heat pumps remain extremely efficient in winter temperatures. Even in outdoor temperatures, down to –25°C, they can provide a property with heating and hot water. Norway, for example, has the most heat pumps per capita in Europe***, so they clearly work well in freezing temperatures. n

* Based on prices on 1 December 2022 and on a Daikin LT R Split WM system

** Daikin UK Brand Tracking Survey, December 2022

*** European Heat Pump Association