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Octopus Heat Pumps

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  • Magnitio
    Magnitio Posts: 1,199 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    1961Nick said:
    How about getting an air/air inverter heat pump? You'll get a much higher SCOP which will actually make it a lot cheaper to run than your gas boiler. A single unit placed in your main living area will make a reasonable dent in your gas consumption & possibly cost as little as £1200 fitted.
    It's certainly an option I am considering.
    6.4kWp (16 * 400Wp REC Alpha) facing ESE + 5kW Huawei inverter + 10kWh Huawei battery. Buckinghamshire.
  • 1961Nick
    1961Nick Posts: 2,107 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Magnitio said:
    1961Nick said:
    How about getting an air/air inverter heat pump? You'll get a much higher SCOP which will actually make it a lot cheaper to run than your gas boiler. A single unit placed in your main living area will make a reasonable dent in your gas consumption & possibly cost as little as £1200 fitted.
    It's certainly an option I am considering.
    With 6.4kWp, 10kWh storage, SCOP of 5, an off peak tariff(?), & a low installation cost, the ROI of a strategically sited unit could be as little as 5 years. 
    4kWp (black/black) - Sofar Inverter - SSE(141°) - 30° pitch - North Lincs
    Installed June 2013 - PVGIS = 3400
    Sofar ME3000SP Inverter & 5 x Pylontech US2000B Plus & 3 x US2000C Batteries - 19.2kWh
  • Screwdriva
    Screwdriva Posts: 1,502 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Bottom line: the lack of support from the BUS scheme is the primary reason they are not yet willing to expand to A-A. 

    Also, A-A works well when you have a small number of rooms but you will need 5+ indoor units to cover the typical 3 Bed Semi detached.
    -  10 x 400w LG + 6 x 550W SHARP BiFacial Panels + SE 3680 HD Wave Inverter + SE Optimizers. SE London.
    -  Triple aspect. (22% ENE/ 33% SSE/ 45% WSW)
    -  Viessmann 200-W on Advanced Weather Comp. (the most efficient gas boiler sold)

    Feel free to DM me if I can help with any energy saving!
  • shinytop
    shinytop Posts: 2,161 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    JKenH said:
    I really don’t know why the government doesn’t encourage more people to use these A2A wall mounted units. I have barely used my oil fired central heating since January (just the odd very cold day). Maybe they are just perceived by the authorities as air conditioning units that add to electricity demand. 
    It's this and I agree.  We don't need air conditioning in domestic settings in the UK and it's an unnecessary waste of scarce energy that is needed elsewhere.  A2A for heating sounds like a good idea. 
  • mickyduck55
    mickyduck55 Posts: 676 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 24 March 2023 at 3:18PM
    I have an A2A system with two units one in my living room (which is about 20 ft square) and one in the bedroom.  I have used barely any GCH as when I'm in the kitchen Im cooking and my bedroom window is almost always open so no heating required upstairs.  My GCH thermostat is set at 15 C

    I did install the units for their AC capability to run in the summer when it does get hot in my bedroom and I have excess solar to power them.  Last year I had a max temp of 42C which is in my view far too hot to sleep in, although it would have cooled down below that by bedtime.

    The heating was a very unforeseen benefit which I believe has saved me money and made the room I use mostly very comfortable.  The other major advantage is the heat is almost instantaneous and controllable via the net so I can switch on and off from almost anywhere.. sat in the pub having a beer turn on 15 mins before I get home and all is toasty  :)

    I run the A2A at 18-19C, it cycles between 17 and 20 according to the Apps temp display
    3.995kWP SSW facing. Commissioned 7 July 2011. 24 degree pitch (£3.36 /W).
    17 Yingli 235 panels
    Sunnyboy 4000TL inverter
    Sunny Webox
    Solar Immersion installed May 2013, after two Solar Immersion lasting just over the guarantee period replaced with Solic 200... no problems since.

    13 Feb 2020 LUX AC 3600 and 3 X Pylon Tech 3.5 kW batteries added...

    20 January 2024 Daikin ASHP installed
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 15,352 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I got the first A2A unit with little expectation to need cooling on a regular basis. My wife still jokes at me for suggesting we would only need the A/C for a few days every 2 or 3 years, but since then we've 'enjoyed' regular heat spikes ranging from a few days to a couple of weeks. The A/C is excellent, and I'd suggest, ever more important for some when it comes to the health impacts of hyperthermia.

    Fingers crossed, the package benefits of a heat pump, with occassional cooling, plus PV, will help to encourage their rollout. The energy savings we get from the A2A units via heating, are vastly greater than the energy consumed for cooling, when to be fair, solar will be generating loads.
    Mart. Cardiff. 8.72 kWp PV systems (2.12 SSW 4.6 ESE & 2.0 WNW). 20kWh battery storage. Two A2A units for cleaner heating. Two BEV's for cleaner driving.

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • astroL
    astroL Posts: 89 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Octopus will not take on a house with <15mm micro-bore piping. Don't believe the Heat Geeks will either. Insisting on K3/ T23 radiators in a bit harsh - I know the Heat Geeks are okay with K2/T22 as long as <40 degree flow temperatures can be designed into the system.

    It is more than likely that both will insist on newer style radiators. See the latter half of this video for better idea of why. For us, A-A is a no go because we would lose the underfloor heating.

    If you do contact Octopus, ask for Toby Clarkson - knowledgable and very helpful. 
    Hmmm.  Let's give this some context.  I approached Octopus Energy for a quote for heat pump installation.  That was mid-December....  By March I was still waiting for a quote - in fact we still are.  The real problem is the total lack of communication. FWIW we have a bungalow. 

  • Screwdriva
    Screwdriva Posts: 1,502 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    astroL said:
    Hmmm.  Let's give this some context.  I approached Octopus Energy for a quote for heat pump installation.  That was mid-December....  By March I was still waiting for a quote - in fact we still are.  The real problem is the total lack of communication. FWIW we have a bungalow. 

    That's surprising to me! Have you chased them?
    -  10 x 400w LG + 6 x 550W SHARP BiFacial Panels + SE 3680 HD Wave Inverter + SE Optimizers. SE London.
    -  Triple aspect. (22% ENE/ 33% SSE/ 45% WSW)
    -  Viessmann 200-W on Advanced Weather Comp. (the most efficient gas boiler sold)

    Feel free to DM me if I can help with any energy saving!
  • DougMLancs
    DougMLancs Posts: 260 Forumite
    100 Posts Second Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    I hadn’t heard anything from my original ‘register your interest’ before Christmas but tried again in Feb with a new web form they rolled out and heard back from a human the same day. I’d give it another go.
    Smart Tech Specialist with Octopus Energy Services (all views my own). 4.44kW SW Facing in-roof array with 3.6kW Givenergy Gen 2 Hybrid inverter and 9.5kWh Givenergy battery. 9kW Panasonic Aquarea L (R290) ASHP. #gasfree since July ‘23
  • Did the web form thing a couple of weeks ago, got a price, rang them up to check it (seemed very cheap - now even cheaper due to the extra £2500, but yes, included all extra radiators if necessary), got a survey happening next week. So service so far is great, Lets see what the survey reveals!
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