Energy Efficient System?

Elz182

Hi all, we live rurually and moved into our home 2.5 years ago. The heating system consists of:

- Two air source heat pumps (supposedly installed incorrectly as they are different sizes but plumbed together so the smaller one is permanently off).
- Screed underfloor heating with two manifolds, which has recently been serviced/flushed/cleaned
- The upstairs bedrooms have traditional wall mounted radiators 
- Very large hot water tank 
- Solar panels 

We have a relatively good feed in tarrif (FIT) for the moment but our fix for electricity we use ends next month and British Gas have advised they expect bills to triple. Since we moved in, the income from the solar panels has more or less covered the cost of the electricity bills each year - this wont work in the future!

If I'm honest I don't really understand how all these systems work together or in fact how we should use them (originally we were advised to leave the heating set at the same temperature throughout the property all year round).

Does anyone have any resources or advice for me to get to grips with it all and understand how to maximise efficiency? Or are Air source heat pumps just not that good (they seem to cost a fair amount to run)? We were recommended to switch to HVO last year but I don't think it's really commercially available at the moment?

I'd appreciate any thoughts or insights you might have! 

matelodave

Cost and efficiency aren't the same thing, the most efficient way to heat your place is with a heatpump although it may not be the cheapest whilst leccy is so much more expensive than other fuels.

More info on the heatpump that you've got and how it's configured might elicit a bit more info. You need to learn how your heatpump works, how it's configured and how to tweak it to suit your requirements. Most people who put a bit of effort into understanding the system get good results - when set up correctly you should be able to get between 2.5-3kwh of heat from every kwh of leccy which is more efficient than oil, gas, wood etc but leccy is more expensive than those fuels

As far as I can see HVO is still a way in the future until there's a decent infrastructure unless you've got supplies near where you live and you can get hold of a boiler that's capable of using it

Reed_Richards

Underfloor heating responds very slowly so you might well want to leave that on for 24 hours during winter. 

At this time of year you probably need little or no heating, if you can put up with your house possibly being a bit chilly in the morning then turn it off.  Otherwise it may come on in the morning but have less effect than just the warming of the outside air so it just wastes a bit of money.