Is this heat pump the cool solution to your heating costs this year?

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Can you make domestic heating cool? A Swedish ‘energy-tech’ firm thinks so, as it rolls out plans to fit green heat pumps in more than a million UK homes in the next ten years.

Aira may not be a household name like Ikea, but its rapid rollout since launching in the UK less than a year ago could change all that as it aims to bring a touch of sleek Scandi style and efficiency - not to mention affordability - to the market.

Its Aira Heat Pump is inspired by Scandinavian aesthetics and combines beautiful design with smart technology to provide customers with cleaner, greener and more affordable heating. 

The company claims its heat pump technology slashes domestic energy bills - especially compared to gas central heating - and now it has linked up with Octopus Energy to offer two new green energy tariffs that could cut costs still further. 

To visit Aira’s website, click here.

But how does this all stack up, and are heat pumps the right choice for you? I’m currently going through the process of replacing a defunct old electric boiler and decided to go with Aira after weighing up the pros and cons earlier this summer.

In this article I’ll share my experience so far and what I’ve learned on the way. My new heat pump will be fitted in September so look out for my full warts-and-all article in the autumn when I’ve had time to assess the system in real conditions!

The decision

I live in a rural village with no gas mains, and my house is not suitable for oil heating, so electric is the only option. I like to make green choices in life, but not to the extent that I’ll pay over the odds for the privilege, so was unsure at the start whether heat pumps would be right for me.

To be honest I didn’t know much about how they worked anyway.

However, I did some research online and Aira came to the top of the pile because of their sleek design principles and smart features (I’m a sucker for tech!). Their design-to-installation approach appealed to me too as I didn’t want the hassle of managing a major project.

I still wasn’t sure of affordability, but decided to go ahead with a consultation anyway, if only to rule out the heat pump option altogether. Time was ticking as well - last winter was a nightmare when the old boiler packed in - twice! And as Aira points out, summer is a great time to get heating sorted as October sees a spike in old systems packing in.

The consultation

Within a week of making contact, Luca from Aira came out to do a site survey and talk me through the options, including working out potential cost savings if I had a pump installed. Luca also very patiently explained to me in simple terms how air pumps work.

Think of the technology as a fridge in reverse - capturing residual heat from the atmosphere, concentrating it and transferring it into your house, where only a little electricity is needed to top it up enough to keep your home cosy.

Luca identified the best placement for the unit itself, which has to be outside and positioned away from windows, as well as the internal unit and expansion tank. In a house as small as mine, it was a tight fit, but everything seemed OK (and was confirmed in a much more detailed technical survey a couple of weeks later).

Taking into account the size of the house, number of rooms, energy efficiency and other elements, Luca calculated I could save up to 20% on my electricity bills. The installation would require more efficient radiators than the old ones I had, so they were added to the plan.

Being the tech geek that I am, I was also attracted to the intelligent control system that keeps everything at optimum performance, radiator-by-radiator.

The cost

I took a deep breath and asked how much all of this would come to, including all of the units and radiators and the fitting itself.

The total was around £13k - but here came the good bit. I was eligible for the current government-run boiler replacement scheme, which would lop a massive £7,500 off the cost - more than halving the total outlay. All of a sudden I was looking at an option that is both green and affordable.

There was even six months’ interest free credit available on the balance, and the 15-year guarantee offers further peace-of-mind, too.

Note that the boiler replacement grant is available in England and Wales only. In Scotland, there is government funding for households with the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan.

What’s next

I decided to go ahead and have since had a detailed technical survey to help plan the installation, and will agree a date to coincide with a remodelling of the bathroom.

I’m also going to have a look at the new energy tariffs that Aira announced in July. These are  100% green electricity tariffs, powered by Octopus Energy – Aira Zero and Aira Solar Export.

I’ll do some sums and if they’re right for me I could be looking at an even earlier payback on this investment, on top of the efficiency savings, and the claimed £8k increase in the value of my home.

Conclusion

Communication with Aira has been exceptionally clear and concise, from the call centre teams to Luca and his colleagues. I was able to talk directly to the designer and between us we made a couple of tweaks to the plan to ensure it’s right for my house.

It’s not been an age to wait for an installation date either - in fact it’s me who's pushing them back to get everything else done in the house at the same time. I’m looking forward to getting the new system in and operational, but not as much as I’m looking forward to those lower energy bills!

I’ll write a follow-up article when it’s all installed and another later when I’ve lived with it for a while.

If you’re interested in learning more about Aira, visit their website here.

Are heat pumps right for you?

Whichever way you look at it, this is a major investment, even with the reduced energy bills and current government incentives, so take your time researching what’s best for you.

There are some practical limitations in terms of external space for the heat pump unit itself, and therefore it’s simply not an option for some property types.

You need also to weigh up what else you can do cheaply to make your home more efficient. UK homes are notoriously badly insulated so you could make a big difference to your bills with a relatively small investment in insulation around your home.

And - of course - shop around. This is a growing and increasingly competitive sector so ensure you get at least three quotes and assess each supplier carefully. They’re all keen for your business, so don’t be afraid to haggle!