Why are heat pumps receiving mixed reviews from homeowners?
Heat pumps are once again in the mainstream media, with The Guardian reviewing the performance of heat pumps over the winter period. Comments from new heat pump owners appear to be mixed with many of them experiencing winter for the first time without a gas or oil boiler.
In this blog post, we want to highlight the negative and positive comments from those who participated in the article, as well as address the issues some had with their heat pump installation.
inadequate heat pump installations
A large number of heat pump owners have purchased a heat pump with the environment in mind. Mr Braddins, who had a heat pump installed last July, was no different. "It fit perfectly with our eco-friendly values, which was one of the reasons. Additionally, the skyrocketing gas prices and the availability of heat pumps in advertisements made us think it was a good time to make the switch”.
Unfortunately due to a poor installation, Mr Braddins was left with a heat pump that didn’t live up to expectations which ultimately forced him to rely on an electric fire and an oil heater to keep him warm.
"There were times when we had neither hot water nor central heating. We resorted to wearing jumpers and using blankets – it was extremely cold. They (the company) eventually identified the issue, and it was fixed within half an hour. I worry that some companies employ heating engineers who lack a proper understanding of how heat pumps operate."
Sadly, Mr Braddins wasn’t the only participant who reported installation problems. Mr Greaves, who received a £5,000 grant from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme also had initial problems with his air source heat pump, commenting that it was “a long process of trial and error getting it right”. The good news is that once the issues with the installation were corrected, Mr Greaves had some positive comments about his heat pump.
“Considering we had a very cold winter we were happy. The overall temperature has been very pleasant because it’s more even. Even after several cold months, the running costs seem a bit lower than our old gas boiler, having recalculated the old bills on the current tariffs.”
Unfortunately, it comes as no surprise to us that homeowners who have been lumped with a poor installations have gone on to have a bad experience with their heat pump. The design and installation of the heat pump is crucial to it working correctly.
Owning a heat pump has reduced my energy bills
Others who took part in the survey have had a very positive experience with their heat pump and even managed to save money on their energy bills. Here’s what a couple of the participants had to say:
“We had a very cold winter and the heat pump was fine, it didn’t falter and kept us warm without costing an arm and a leg. It has been nearly a year now and we have definitely saved money, it is not noisy, and it just does the job without any intervention.”
Another participant said:
“We saw from the media that some people have a bad experience of heat pumps but others raved about them. The difference seemed to be in how skilful and careful the design and installation team are. We moved into the house in September. We didn’t want to go for another gas boiler – these days I hate burning fossils and also because I can see the grid is greening. Immediately we found it was cheaper to heat the house,”
These type of responses are common for us to hear. Heat pumps are known for their efficiency and as the grid transitions to mostly renewal energy, it’s likely the cost of electricity will reduce. At the same time, gas will likely become more expensive due to decreasing demand.
Poor installation leads to unhappy customers
We’ve built our reputation on delivering a high quality heat pump experience and work hard to ensure this is the case for every customer. As one of the UK’s leading heat pump design and supply experts, we’re consistently talking about the importance of heat pump design and installation. Design is a key part of the installation process, which is why when we sell a heat pump, we’ll design it specifically for the property it’s being bought for.
We oversee every installation from start to finish, instructing and supervising the installer to ensure the system is installed to a high standard. Once the installation is completed, our highly trained, experienced heat pump engineers commission the system and we assume all ongoing performance liability for your peace of mind.
We also know that many heating installers are unfamiliar with heat pump technology and installing one without the proper training will negatively impact the property owners heat pump experience. This is why we offer free heat pump training to installers who are inexperienced or need a refresh on how to install a heat pump. We also offer free technical support for installers who require additional help during the installation process.
Here’s what one of our customers had to say:
“Alto Energy were brilliant from start to finish. I had a 35 year old electric boiler and am unable to get gas at my property so opted for an air source heat pump. They explained the process well and communicated well during delays that were out of their hands. They liased with the plumber I chose for the installation and everything went extremely smoothly. Just make sure you book in commissioning for the same time as the install as otherwise you won't be able to turn the heat pump on until it is commissioned.
If you're thinking of going for a heat pump Alto Energy are an excellent choice to make the leap!”- Sami Siddiqui
You can read more about our customers experiences by reading our Google Reviews. To learn more about our services, please get in touch by clicking the ‘contact us’ button below.
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Are you a homeowner considering replacing your fossil fuel heating system with a clean and efficient heat pump? Or are you a heating engineer looking to modernise your business and start offering heat pumps to your customers? If so, get in touch to find out how we could help.