Is My Home Suitable For A Heat Pump?

Although the government is pushing for heat pumps to become more commonplace, even aiming for all new heating systems installed from 2035 to be low carbon, currently, 54% of UK homes aren’t suitable for them.

There are a few key property features that can make heat pumps less efficient, which we’ve listed below.

If your house comes under any of these brackets, it’s probably best to consider improving your property but only if it’s feasible and affordable, as this will allow you to get a heat pump and stop relying on gas in the long run.

Poor insulation.

Properties with a low EPC rating will not be able to lock in the warmth that heat pumps create, meaning they’ll be pretty useless. And, since 59% of homes in England and Wales have a D, E, F, or G rating on their EPC, over half of the homes in these countries might not be suitable for heat pumps.

Insulation is also needed for traditional boilers, but you’re likely to feel the effects of poor insulation more with heat pumps, since they tend to produce comparatively lower heat, usually at around 35 – 40°C compared to a gas boiler’s average 60°C. This means they channel heat slowly, over longer periods of time. Check out our other comparisons between air source heat pumps and gas boilers!

So if your home is properly insulated, it will be able to retain heat and you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of a cheaper renewable heating source. With poor insulation, however, you could find yourself reaching for the thermostat more, which will probably increase your bills.

Old buildings.

There are plenty of pros and cons of heat pumps, but one of the main drawbacks is that they aren’t suitable for old buildings, which make up a large percentage of the UK’s housing stock.

There are a handful of reasons why older buildings might not be suitable for heat pumps. For starters, some older or listed buildings have rules and regulations on what you can and can’t change about their appearance. Basically, a heat pump might not meet those set aesthetic standards.

Homeowners in listed buildings also aren’t allowed to alter the foundations of the property, which will prove problematic when trying to install the necessary pipework, especially for a ground source heat pump!

However, one way you could overcome this issue is by getting a heat pump cover, which essentially makes the outside unit much prettier whilst also protecting it against the weather and other outdoor variables.

On top of this, homes built before the 1920s typically have solid walls, which can be harder to insulate than cavity walls and without good insulation, heat pumps just won’t work as efficiently.

Limited space outside.

We won’t beat around the bush, a heat pump is a pretty hefty piece of kit, with sizes currently ranging from 6kW to 15kW for the average domestic property. Overall, the size of the heat pump you’ll need for your home will depend on:

• Type/size of property
• Level of insulation/heat loss
• Size of radiators or underfloor heating
• Desired indoor temperature
• Seasonal outdoor temperatures in your area

Typically, both air source and ground source heat pumps are installed on the outside of an external wall, with the unit either being placed on the ground or mounted onto the wall. Either way, it’ll need a lot of room, with no obstructions, to get maximum airflow.

It’s also important to bear in mind that the installation must be at least a metre from the boundary of your property.

No underfloor heating or large radiators.

Since heat pumps take longer to warm up than traditional boilers, they need to utilise a larger surface area in order to reach the same temperature level. This means that if you have heat pumps, you’ll also have an underfloor heating system or larger radiators.

So, if you have a property with limited space, heat pumps might not be a viable option for you. Of course, you can always install underfloor heating, but this can be fairly costly on top of the heat pump costs.

High-rise buildings.

This one’s circumstantial. In some cases, high-rise buildings can actually have heat pumps, but this setup can come with complications.

If there’s no space to pop a heat pump outside each property in high-rise buildings, air source heat pumps will be off the table for residents. However, if the properties have a balcony – preferably a spacious one, the outdoor unit can be mounted on a façade.

If there’s space outside the high-rise building, properties could benefit from a ground source heat pump. It can be put nearby the building, with pipes running through the properties.

But this setup can end up being pretty pricey, since a lot of work needs to be done to the whole building for it to work. Not only does the heat pump need to be installed outside, but the pipes also need to go through several stories of the building to reach different properties.