I would guess they are comparing with the previous year, where they may have been at work out of the house most of the day with the heat off, to now where they are wfh and the house is maintained at a level comfortable temperature all the time?That cannot be correct. If your home has genuinely gone from a D2 to A2, your energy use should be a fraction of what it previously was regardless of the type of heating system. Are you excluding the fact that with a heat pump you are now electricity only and have no gas bill??
They probably have photovoltaic panels, which would make more sense with a heat pump (offsetting the electricity the heat pump uses) than the solar tubes for hot water.
WFH should only be a small contributor (5-10%) especially if it is A-rated. Going from D to A rated should have slashed the energy use so it is more than likely behavioral changes or incorrect use of the system (wrong settings, constant fiddling)I would guess they are comparing with the previous year, where they make have been at work out of the house most of the day with the heat off, to now where they are wfh and the house is maintained at a level comfortable temperature all the time?
This, imo, is the flaw of the whole BER system for rating a dwelling especially when it comes to the heat retention characteristics, in that the rating achieved (BER) is a result mainly of a box ticking exercise rather than any kind of in-depth investigation.That cannot be correct. If your home has genuinely gone from a D2 to A2, your energy use should be a fraction of what it previously was regardless of the type of heating system. Are you excluding the fact that with a heat pump you are now electricity only and have no gas bill??
That is one of the downsides to A-rated homes. Once you get used to the constant temperature, any level of moderate activity can suddenly make you feel very warm.So if actively working around the house - say working out, DIY, cleaning, moving around that is, I'd rarely need much/any heat. If sitting down, on the computer, in front of the television, I want a warmer room.
I can confirm that's exactly what happensbut it doesn't suit me (yet! Maybe I'll go all soft and will want the additional heat).
I'm not saying they're not efficient, I'm saying, so far, based on 4-6 months, the jury is out as to which way I'd go if given the choice again. The house is way more comfortable, we absolutely had rooms that were never comfortable, but that's the insulation.
Just on this, the temp of the tank should be brought up to 60 C at least once a week to prevent any legionella bacteria growing. Not sure if the heat pumps have a mode for this (I think some do? ), if not then a 7 day timer immersion could be used to give it a quick blast of a higher temperature.Check the temperature on your water tank and reduce it until the water temperature is comfortable.
I guess hypothetically if carbon taxes are radically increased, this person's system may gradually become easier to justify financially.That is one of the downsides to A-rated homes. Once you get used to the constant temperature, any level of moderate activity can suddenly make you feel very warm.
I can confirm that's exactly what happens
My advice to get the most out of the system:
- Change provider every year for the cheapest rates
- Switch to a day/night rate if you have a night meter
- Do not let the room temperatures drop at night, it is very cheap to heat at night on the lower rates.
- Do set your bedrooms lower all day so they are not uncomfortable at night even if heating comes on
- Keep all doors open especially within the same heating zone to maintain the constant temp. (We benefit from a south facing living room with large windows that effectively keeps our stats at temperature during daytime even in winter so very little additional heat required)
- Check the temperature on your water tank and reduce it until the water temperature is comfortable. This is often a big mistake and waste of energy with heat pumps. To maintain a good COP, the water tank should be set as low as possible. It makes no sense to have really hot water coming out of taps that you then use the cold mixer to cool. There is a balance too between how low you can drop the temp and having enough water for all residents to shower etc.
- Similarly, the output temperature for your space heating is just as important. Dropping the temp by a few degrees means the systems stays on for longer but runs more efficiently
- Finally, if you do make changes to stats or other temperature settings. Let it 'settle' for a few days before adjusting again until everything feels comfortable
- You won't really see the impact of any of the above suggestions until next winter as your summer usage should be very low anyway
That is probably where you frustration lies. As you already had gas, you didn't really need a heat pump. They would both be as effective at heating your home. Heat pumps are not necessarily better than gas, they are just another option in A-rated homes. Their benefits rapidly disappear if homes are not A-rated. Personally, I would be quiet annoyed with whoever spec'd your home to have gas, PV and a heat pump, it makes no sense.
Do you have to leave all the doors in the same heating zone open? I'm thinking of replacing my Grant's oil burner replaced with the air to water heat pump but it wouldn't suit me to leave all doors openThat is one of the downsides to A-rated homes. Once you get used to the constant temperature, any level of moderate activity can suddenly make you feel very warm.
I can confirm that's exactly what happens
My advice to get the most out of the system:
- Change provider every year for the cheapest rates
- Switch to a day/night rate if you have a night meter
- Do not let the room temperatures drop at night, it is very cheap to heat at night on the lower rates.
- Do set your bedrooms lower all day so they are not uncomfortable at night even if heating comes on
- Keep all doors open especially within the same heating zone to maintain the constant temp. (We benefit from a south facing living room with large windows that effectively keeps our stats at temperature during daytime even in winter so very little additional heat required)
- Check the temperature on your water tank and reduce it until the water temperature is comfortable. This is often a big mistake and waste of energy with heat pumps. To maintain a good COP, the water tank should be set as low as possible. It makes no sense to have really hot water coming out of taps that you then use the cold mixer to cool. There is a balance too between how low you can drop the temp and having enough water for all residents to shower etc.
- Similarly, the output temperature for your space heating is just as important. Dropping the temp by a few degrees means the systems stays on for longer but runs more efficiently
- Finally, if you do make changes to stats or other temperature settings. Let it 'settle' for a few days before adjusting again until everything feels comfortable
- You won't really see the impact of any of the above suggestions until next winter as your summer usage should be very low anyway
That is probably where you frustration lies. As you already had gas, you didn't really need a heat pump. They would both be as effective at heating your home. Heat pumps are not necessarily better than gas, they are just another option in A-rated homes. Their benefits rapidly disappear if homes are not A-rated. Personally, I would be quiet annoyed with whoever spec'd your home to have gas, PV and a heat pump, it makes no sense.
The 'keep the doors open' comment is in relation to passively keeping an even temperature in A-rated homes. Not specifically for a heat pump but it all helps. Basically there is no point letting some rooms overheat by closing doors while sunlight is streaming in and your heating system is on bringing a room up to temperature at the other side of the house.Do you have to leave all the doors in the same heating zone open? I'm thinking of replacing my Grant's oil burner replaced with the air to water heat pump but it wouldn't suit me to leave all doors open
I had assessment done with a retrofit company to measure heat loss when a full insulation job is done e.g attic insulation, floor insulation external insulation ( in my case). A BER would then be achieved and the idea in order to achieve a BER rating to B2 at least for houses built before 2011.
That is probably where you frustration lies. As you already had gas, you didn't really need a heat pump. They would both be as effective at heating your home. Heat pumps are not necessarily better than gas, they are just another option in A-rated homes. Their benefits rapidly disappear if homes are not A-rated. Personally, I would be quiet annoyed with whoever spec'd your home to have gas, PV and a heat pump, it makes no sense.
Comparing gas or oil fired ch to a heat pump system is like comparing apples to oranges. Yes, they are both heating systems just as apples & oranges are fruit but that is really where the comparison ends.
The main function of a heating system is to supply heat to the house at a higher rate than the heat is lost from the house.
High temperature heating systems such as gas / oil were developed for houses with a high heat loss rate. These systems work well because they are capable of delivering large amounts of heat energy in a short period of time. They can deliver heat at a higher level than the house loses it so the house heats up.
Low temperature systems such as heat pumps are used to deliver a much lower level of heating over a much longer period of time. Therefore they work best when married to low temp distribution systems such as uf, high thermal mass buildings and also where the heat loss from the house is very low to start off with. Also they are designed to be running constantly so the house doesn't swing madly from cold to hot to cold etc but rather stays as a constant comfortable temperature.
The issue (confusion) arises when you try to shoehorn a hp system in a house with high levels of heat loss. You end up with v high electricity bills or not being able to heat the house or in some cases both!
This is why it is vital that before a hp is considered, serious attention must be paid to the significant reduction of the heat losses in the first place.
Hopefully you got this done with one of the companies on the SEAI list? You will pay for this and it's quite substantial, but if you chose the company to do the work they'll allow you this cost against the overall job. The quotation they give is very, very, detailed and the company I saw and was involved with on behalf of my sons job in Dublin really knew what they were doing. It wasn't a quotation given with a quick look and a few figures.I had assessment done with a retrofit company to measure heat loss when a full insulation job is done e.g attic insulation, floor insulation external insulation ( in my case). A BER would then be achieved and the idea in order to achieve a BER rating to B2 at least for houses built before 2011.
Yeah, this is it really. Concentrate in doing the best job you can on the building fabric and then how the place is heated becomes a much simpler problem to solve.I know what the likely answer to this is: make it so, only go for hp if the result will support efficient use of hp by engaging with the right professionals and design for a specific BER rating. Maybe that is my answer.
Seems like a sensible choice for a 100 year old house that we're not going to be overly focused on air tightness.
Just on this about the PV solar again, I'm hopefully soon going to be moving to a new build (A2 or A3 BER) that'll have an air to water heat pump, underfloor heating downstairs and radiators upstairs. I'll be working from home most of the time and will probably go for an electric car the next time I change cars. The house won't come with any solar panels as standard, though I was considering asking the builder to install PV. From what you've said it sounds like it may not be worth it, is there any merit to installing PV in this case?The same applies to PV. In a highly efficient A rated home, the only heating required during summer months (and late spring/early autumn) should be for water. If you need 8kWh of energy to heat water, your PV system needs to be sized to supply 8kWh during summer months. The same amount of heating with a heat pump can be achieved using 2.25kWh of electricity, of which a lot can be done at very cheap night rates
Basically your heat pump should not be running off an oversized PV as it is more economical and energy efficient to just use the grid. During winter months, the same PV is contributing very little to electricity, maybe 2-3kWh per day so it is not a good investment along with a heat pump.
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