Upgrade heating gas not an option

Gerry1

Two factoids to add to the mix: LPG can't be stolen but oil can, and I believe that the RHI payments relate to the property rather than the individual so think and check carefully if you are likely to move before all the payments have been received.

Also, are there any neighbours who would be interested in getting gas and sharing the installation costs?  If there are 15 houses and a quarter are interested then it starts to be a no-brainer.  Similarly, are you obliged to get Wales & West Utilities to do all of the work?  If some or all of it can be done by others it might be cheaper.

macman

In terms of capital cost, NSH's and an immersion heater will surely be the cheapest option. I'm assuming you currently have convectors running on a single rate meter, so you will need to switch to an E7 meter.

danrv

macman said:

In terms of capital cost, NSH's and an immersion heater will surely be the cheapest option.

Much cheaper. There’s no gas for my property so will be fitting modern NSH’s downstairs and convectors for bedrooms.
I already have an immersion heater.

Also ASHP operating noise needs to be considered. Ok if
positioned away from neighbours and sleeping areas.

cooners

danrv said:

macman said:

In terms of capital cost, NSH's and an immersion heater will surely be the cheapest option.

Much cheaper. There’s no gas for my property so will be fitting modern NSH’s downstairs and convectors for bedrooms.
I already have an immersion heater.

Also ASHP operating noise needs to be considered. Ok if
positioned away from neighbours and sleeping areas.

It would be on a semi detached house that isn't very big. Our bedroom is on the other side obviously have no idea of the neighbors situation. If we got one and they took a disliking to it could they do anything about it? 
I'd try and mount it on the far side of the house but given the gate and the back door are both on that side. 
I've got NSH in the place I'm in now as has my girlfriend, we both know how to use them (turn the input to something appropriate to the weather and turn the output to zero until you need the heat) and they absolutely gobble up the electric, we are both easily going through £100 a month in the winter meaning she has to turn it off at times and deal with the cold so NSH and standard electric heaters are a no go.
I don't want an oil or LPG tank if I can avoid it and gas is impossible which leaves air source heating.
I've been told air to air is cheaper than air to water and also works as air conditioning, is this worth considering?

matelodave

danrv said:

macman said:

In terms of capital cost, NSH's and an immersion heater will surely be the cheapest option.

Much cheaper. There’s no gas for my property so will be fitting modern NSH’s downstairs and convectors for bedrooms.
I already have an immersion heater.

Also ASHP operating noise needs to be considered. Ok if
positioned away from neighbours and sleeping areas.

Have you actually heard an air source heat pump running, they aren't as noisy as some people have been led to believe

Yes it's got fans, mine has two big ones and the air blowing through it does make a noise, but TBH I can only reallyy hear it it when I'm stood fairly close to the unit.. I can only hear the compressor if I put my ear onto the casing whereas the 2 year oild oil boiler roaring away from the house on the opposite side of the road can be heard some 50 yards away. even when I stand next to my ASHP.

I probably wouldn't actually want mine near a bedroom window but ours is next to the dining room window and there's more a sense of it running rather than any actual noise although I guess it would be more apparent outside a bedroom at 2am (especially where I live out in the country where it's deathly queit, apart from the owls)

Whats the opinion of other heatpump owners?

Reed_Richards

cooners said:

I've been told air to air is cheaper than air to water and also works as air conditioning, is this worth considering?

It's worth considering if your property is small enough or if you are prepared to distribute multiple units around the property.  However you don't get any RHI payments for air-to-air.

I replaced a condensing oil boiler, which was an outdoor unit, with an ASHP in the same location.  The oil boiler made a roaring sound when in operation and the ASHP sounds like the large fan that it is.  I think the noise of each one is of a similar volume but the ASHP, being a motor sound, is possibly a bit more intrusive.  But you or your neighbours' taste in noises may be different to mine.

nigelbb

cooners said:

danrv said:

macman said:

In terms of capital cost, NSH's and an immersion heater will surely be the cheapest option.

Much cheaper. There’s no gas for my property so will be fitting modern NSH’s downstairs and convectors for bedrooms.
I already have an immersion heater.

Also ASHP operating noise needs to be considered. Ok if
positioned away from neighbours and sleeping areas.

It would be on a semi detached house that isn't very big. Our bedroom is on the other side obviously have no idea of the neighbors situation. If we got one and they took a disliking to it could they do anything about it? 
I'd try and mount it on the far side of the house but given the gate and the back door are both on that side. 
I've got NSH in the place I'm in now as has my girlfriend, we both know how to use them (turn the input to something appropriate to the weather and turn the output to zero until you need the heat) and they absolutely gobble up the electric, we are both easily going through £100 a month in the winter meaning she has to turn it off at times and deal with the cold so NSH and standard electric heaters are a no go.
I don't want an oil or LPG tank if I can avoid it and gas is impossible which leaves air source heating.
I've been told air to air is cheaper than air to water and also works as air conditioning, is this worth considering?

You can have the LPG tank buried underground if the eyesore & loss of space in your garden is your concern

Reed_Richards

But with an ASHP you save the cost of any sort of tank, mounting (or burying) it and burying whatever pipe connects it to you house.  If I had stayed with oil I would have had to replace my 1000 litre oil tank and that would have cost me well over £1000 just for the tank. 

macman

nigelbb said:

cooners said:

danrv said:

macman said:

In terms of capital cost, NSH's and an immersion heater will surely be the cheapest option.

Much cheaper. There’s no gas for my property so will be fitting modern NSH’s downstairs and convectors for bedrooms.
I already have an immersion heater.

Also ASHP operating noise needs to be considered. Ok if
positioned away from neighbours and sleeping areas.

It would be on a semi detached house that isn't very big. Our bedroom is on the other side obviously have no idea of the neighbors situation. If we got one and they took a disliking to it could they do anything about it? 
I'd try and mount it on the far side of the house but given the gate and the back door are both on that side. 
I've got NSH in the place I'm in now as has my girlfriend, we both know how to use them (turn the input to something appropriate to the weather and turn the output to zero until you need the heat) and they absolutely gobble up the electric, we are both easily going through £100 a month in the winter meaning she has to turn it off at times and deal with the cold so NSH and standard electric heaters are a no go.
I don't want an oil or LPG tank if I can avoid it and gas is impossible which leaves air source heating.
I've been told air to air is cheaper than air to water and also works as air conditioning, is this worth considering?

You can have the LPG tank buried underground if the eyesore & loss of space in your garden is your concern

But £3.50 per day for heating during the coldest months would be absolutely normal...
Yes, using convectors on single rate would be hideously expensive. But on E7 it's about a quarter of the single rate charge.

rp1974

Depending on your location,planning constraints may apply depending on wether or not your ASHP falls within being classed as permitted development.
Best place to determine that is likely to be your local councils planning department or associated website.
If planning approval is needed your neighbours must be notified/consulted before permission would be granted,if I remember from when I was looking into this (Scotland) neighbours cant raise objections after approval.
Go through the proper official channels,unlikely to end well otherwise.