How much does a ground source heat pump cost?

What makes up the cost of a ground source heat pump?

The cost of a ground source heat pump is not set in stone. Homeowners should factor in the price of the heat pump they choose, as well as installation costs and the heat pump’s running bills. All of these vary depending on the requirements of the property and your choices, but it is the combination of the three that makes ground source heat pumps the most cost-effective heating solution.

Several government and non-government subsidy schemes are available to support heat pump installations, dependent on whether you are an individual homeowner or a multi-asset owner (social housing landlord).

How much does installing a ground source heat pump cost?

Upfront costs for a ground source heat pump installation aren’t always higher than those for other heating systems, but they can be. When it comes to the heat pump, Kensa is the UK’s leading manufacturer and our innovative heat pumps come with some of the most competitive prices on the market.

Installation costs vary widely.

For individual homes, heating needs and the site a property sits on impacts installation costs. The higher the heat load of the property, the more the whole system installation will cost. The larger your ground array system the more it will typically cost to install. Then there is your choice of groundworks. If you have plenty of outdoor space, ground arrays can be dug in trenches using slinkies or straight pipes – these are the lowest cost option. If space is limited, vertical boreholes are also an option.

Your heating distribution system and the characteristics of your property also affect costs. Larger homes with poor insulation will need a larger heat pump unit and larger ground array. Some homeowners love underfloor heating because it is generally better at spreading heat than radiators and is invisible to the eye, but it tends to cost more and cause more disruption during installation. If you are using radiators these will need to be sized to meet the heat loss of each room. Of course, if radiators need replacing – as with any alternative solution – this adds to the cost of installation. In each case, having more efficient emitters will help you run the ground source heat pump more efficiently and at a lower cost over time.

A networked ground source heat pump solution for a housing estate will cost more to install than some alternative solutions, but not all. Networked Ground Source Heat Pumps tend to be slightly more expensive than central plant air source heat pumps but less expensive than traditional district heat networks. In all cases the solution saves homeowners and asset owners in the long run.

What are the running costs of a ground source heat pump?

Low running costs are where ground source heat pumps come into their own. Because they are so efficient, ground source heat pumps have lower running costs than oil and gas boilers, direct electric heating and air source heat pumps. Producing up to six times as much energy as they consume in ideal design conditions, energy bills can be much lower. Energy bills could be 75% lower than for homes with direct electric heating, for example. For social housing asset owners, a decarbonisation project will most likely be rejected if it does not deliver lower bills than the current system – most technology choices cannot achieve this outcome but ground source heat pumps can.

Because the earth stays at about 8-12°C, even in cold weather, running costs are stable all year round; another advantage compared to other heating systems, including air source heat pumps, which require much more electricity to run during the coldest spells. While systems vary, for a 5-bedroom home homeowners can save up to £1,000 per year compared to air source heat pumps. And because of the stable thermal energy that underpins the value of ground source heat pumps, homeowners are protecting themselves against fluctuating energy prices.

How much does a ground source heat pump cost to maintain?

The other great advantage of ground source heat pumps is their low maintenance needs. Fitted inside a home they are protected from the elements, unlike air source heat pumps, which sit outside and have to run defrost cycles during the coldest spells. That is one reason ground source heat pumps are so durable, lasting a decade longer than air source heat pumps – 25 years compared to 10-15 years. And with the ground array lasting 100 years or more, this is a major future saving. Choosing a ground source heat pump is a way of future-proofing your home.

What are the total lifetime costs of a ground source heat pump?

Over a 30-year lifetime, ground source heat pumps come out as the cheapest of all heating systems on the market. An individual homeowner could save as much as £30,000 by choosing a ground source heat pump rather than an air source heat pump. Providers of social housing can also save tens of thousands of pounds. Prudent landlords install ground source heat pumps because they know they’ll save over time and unlock low running costs for residents. A key differentiator. Whether you are an individual homeowner or a multi-asset owner, with ground source heat pumps you are choosing to save money in the long run.