Heat pumps

matt_drummer

My install is complete.

I couldn't be happier.

We tested the heating this morning, the radiators were as hot as they were with my gas boiler.

The heat pump will have no trouble heating our house.

Now I need to wait for the winter and get it set up to run as efficiently as possible.

I am confident we won't be cold.

Our hot water tank was heated to 43c this morning. It's a 205 litre tank and it used 1 kWh of electricity to heat it.

oliver1951

That’s great news Matt. 

ispookie666

Nice to see this getting completed @matt_drummer
Maybe we need to start a campaign to overturn the nonsense PP requirement. 

Interesting to see you not having an export limit - I'm also with UKPN and have had export limit at two houses, and they are pretty clear on the export limit in their approval letter. Mine is limited to 8.8KVA

matt_drummer

oliver1951 said:

That’s great news Matt. 

Thank you.

My wife is so happy, came home from work and had a shower, she hated our old system.

It was a bit odd with a booster pump on all the hot water of a vented system, it was uncontrollable.

Now it is perfect.

It would have cost us thousands of pounds just to sort the hot water system.

My gas meter has gone so I am no longer paying the gas standing charge.

I said before, a benefit of getting your energy supplier to do the install is that the installers can also do all of the other stuff.

I am so happy with them and a bit emotional right now, it's all ben a bit stressful with planning issues etc etc

It's been a bit of a slog to get a heat pump fitted, a few ups and downs along the way.



I'm quite proud now that we have a house that is about as environmentally friendly as you can get.

matt_drummer

ispookie666 said:

Nice to see this getting completed @matt_drummer
Maybe we need to start a campaign to overturn the nonsense PP requirement. 

Interesting to see you not having an export limit - I'm also with UKPN and have had export limit at two houses, and they are pretty clear on the export limit in their approval letter. Mine is limited to 8.8KVA

Thank you.

I'm glad it is done.

We live in the middle of Ipswich, I would imagine that the infrastructure is pretty robust.

I doubt I can have unlimited export but mine will never be more than the limit you have imposed on you, I will never voluntarily discharge my batteries to the grid as it goes against my views to this. My panels, although extensive, will never generate their full potential all at once.

As it stands right now though, I have no limit.

oliver1951

Well done for continuing with it. I don’t know whether the pp rules are nonsense, but they are onerous, difficult to get to the bottom of, not understood by the council officials, and then throw in buildings regs as well. For me that’s a further £700 , this is bonkers. It’s as if they want you to just replace your gas boiler with another gas boiler, for which there is no pp or building regs. I don’t mind the pp and building regs If a) there was no incremental charge, b) a simple proforma to complete and a sensible time frame. Also, going with BG they have been useless and because they ( it turns out) aren’t accredited that’s why I have to do the building regs app. Awaiting to see if they help with that, frankly can’t see how I can apply if they don’t. 

But Matt you’ve got through to installation and system check. Go enjoy your weekend.

matt_drummer

oliver1951 said:

Well done for continuing with it. I don’t know whether the pp rules are nonsense, but they are onerous, difficult to get to the bottom of, not understood by the council officials, and then throw in buildings regs as well. For me that’s a further £700 , this is bonkers. It’s as if they want you to just replace your gas boiler with another gas boiler, for which there is no pp or building regs. I don’t mind the pp and building regs If a) there was no incremental charge, b) a simple proforma to complete and a sensible time frame. Also, going with BG they have been useless and because they ( it turns out) aren’t accredited that’s why I have to do the building regs app. Awaiting to see if they help with that, frankly can’t see how I can apply if they don’t. 

But Matt you’ve got through to installation and system check. Go enjoy your weekend.

Thank you.

I can only give you the benefit of my experience with Octopus, other independent installers and Ipswich Borough Council.

Focussing on the council, they are all different, and that is the problem.

We are not building house, flats, factories or extensions, we are installing a heating system.

Not only that, we are installing a heating system that our government are promoting by way of a grant and that they need more people to do.

It is madness that the interpretation of the rules arond the country vary.

It is also madness that the process of replacing a gas or oil boiler is treated in the same way as a full blown building project.

My heat pump is virtually silent, the only way to tell it is running is to stand in front of it to feel the air.

Yet IBC objected to planning permission on the grounds of noise.

I have said all along that I thought this heat pump would be really quiet, but based on a number from a brochure I had to apply for planning permission which was objected to on the basis of the noise quoted in the brochure.

It's not right and it shouldn't be like this.

I am going to continue to push for a change, I'm not sure how effective I will be  but at least now I have some tangible evidence to support my case.


My only advice to you is to stick with it if you really want one and try to find a way to make it work.


If you want to talk to me or I can help you in any way you can send me a message.

oliver1951

Thanks, will do. And I’m having those discussions with my local councillor. I am also more than a little cross with BG, because they are not accredited, leaving me to pick up the work and the tab for the building regs application.

matt_drummer

oliver1951 said:

Thanks, will do. And I’m having those discussions with my local councillor. I am also more than a little cross with BG, because they are not accredited, leaving me to pick up the work and the tab for the building regs application.

I received my documents from Octopus today.

This was part of it,  a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate

NAPIT has notified your local authority Building Control of the work detailed on this certificate. The Installer (named below) confirms that the work completed at the address shown below complies with parts 4 & 7 of the Building Regulations 

oliver1951

Hey Matt, now we’ve hit cold weather I’d love to hear how your heat pump is working out. 7 months down the line I’m still waiting for planning permission. It’s very cold and frustrating.