6 Reasons why you Should get a Ground Source Heat Pump

Getting a ground source heat pump is a big decision, so you want to make sure that you know exactly what you’re getting into.

Ground source heat pumps use pipes which are buried in your garden to extract heat from the ground. You can use the heat it generates to heat your radiators, underfloor heating or hot water in your home.

Ground source heat pumps work by moving a mixture of water and antifreeze around a loop of pipe. This pipe is called a ground loop and is buried in your garden. The fluid absorbs heat from the ground and passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump.

Don’t worry about not being able to use the heat pump in the winter – it operates at lower temperatures than a traditional gas boiler, and the ground below the surface actually stays at a constant temperature all year.

A ground source heat pump is a great way to generate your own heat without having to rely on big energy companies and paying large bills. We’ve put together 6 reasons why a ground source heat pump is a fantastic way to heat your home.

1. Lower your energy bills

Since you’ll be generating your own free heat from the ground, you’ll see a reduction in your energy bills. Whichever heating system you currently have, you’ll make savings, but you’ll save the most if you switch to a ground source heat pump from old electric storage heaters. You could save between £790 and £1,425 per year.

2. Reduce your carbon footprint

Heat from a heat pump is renewable, so carbon emissions are greatly reduced. The heat pump does use electricity to power the exchanger, so they have some impact on the environment. But this is much less than other forms of heating, as the heat is constantly being renewed.

If you’re switching from electric heating, you could save between 6,700 and 11,700 kg of carbon dioxide per year.

ground source heat pump
Image via Pinterest

3. Earn an income with the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)

The government’s Renewable Heat Incentive, or RHI, pays you for the energy you generate with your ground source heat pump. You could earn between £2,590 and £4,005 per year, meaning the payback time for your system could be as little as 5 years.

4. Provide heating as well as hot water

Unlike solar thermal panels, you can heat your home with a ground source heat pump as well as your water.

5. No hefty fuel deliveries

Renewable heating sources like biomass boilers require you to fill the boiler with fuel in the form of wood chips or pellets. But since the heat for a heat pump is generated from the ground, you don’t need to worry about getting fuel delivered.

6. No maintenance

Ground source heat pumps require very little maintenance, so you won’t need to worry about cleaning it out like you have to do with a solid fuel boiler or stove.

If you’d like more information about ground source heat pumps, you can find it on the Energy Saving Trust website.