Buying oil heated house - check suitability for heat pump

williamcroome

Hi, we've had an offer accepted on a property that has an oil heating system. Our offer considered the cost of installing a heat pump should the oil system need replacing after 2025 (it has been recently refurbed). 

In discussion with a friend it was mentioned that not all houses are suitable and there could be some cost involved in improving the insulation efficiency.

I would like, as part of the process to request that we have a survey performed to see what costs lie around the corner. It could potentially sway our minds as much as anything a standard home survey would find. 

Is this allowed and who would do it. I see energy companies offering free survey but I guess that is on a home they deem they could sell a heat pump to. A house you haven't bought yet might be another mater. I guess there are some independents out there. 

I don't mind spending a bit of money as long run it could save us from costly mistake.

Thanks for any advice.

propertyrental

I suggest you post on the alternative energy board. Lots of heat pump info over there

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/lpg-heating-oil-solid-other-fuels

Not sure why you think 2025 is a issue.

ProDave

If the oil boiler has just been refurbished you might not need to bother.  Unless the actual water jacket rusts through, just about everything on an oil boiler is replacable, even a complete burner if you need to.

The big difference with heat pumps is they won't get the water as hot as an oil (or gas) boiler, so the system has to work with lower temperature water.  If you have radiators, that might mean swapping some or all of them for larger ones, if you already have under floor heating that is perfect.

And the same with the hot water.  Because the hot water will be a bit less hot, it will get diluted less with cold water in use, so you generally need a bigger got water tank.

You also need to know how much heat input the house needs.  the EPC will give you some indication of that but I doubt if it is accurate.

Tell us more about the property, the age, etc.

Don't expect a heat pump to be cheaper than oil (unless oil shoots up in price again) the best you can hope for is a broadly similar heating cost.

williamcroome

@propertyrental - maybe it is 2026. From what I saw
"off-grid homes that rely on oil boilers cannot replace one with a like-for-like oil boiler after 2026"
Of course that terminology could be construed many ways but from what I have heard (by way of mouth which I appreciate isn't always the best) is that even replacement parts will be restricted to try and force the issue.

williamcroome

@ProDave I guess what I am trying to ask here is how do I find accurate information about the house I am buying before I fully commit. Appreciating everything you wrote but what I want is someone to go in and tell me an accurate estimation of changing over if it was needed. Who would I get to do this (what profession) and is it fair to ask for this to happen before exchange (which is why this was posted in house purchase).

Fredw56

Do you really think the government are going to ban around 900,000 homes across England and Wales from using their oil boilers in 2025? 

I think what is intended is that the installation of new or replacement oil boilers will be severely restricted from 2025. There will be no oil boilers in any new builds. There is a culture war going on a there is lots of mischief and mendacity right now.

 Oil is still cheap (or was until this week) and if the boiler is ok, keep running it until the heat pump market matures. 

 Your oil boiler may last, the older the better. Mine was built in 1976. I am waiting myself. 

Insulation first, you have that right. 

propertyrental

williamcroome said:

@propertyrental - maybe it is 2026. From what I saw
"off-grid homes that rely on oil boilers cannot replace one with a like-for-like oil boiler after 2026"
Of course that terminology could be construed many ways but from what I have heard (by way of mouth which I appreciate isn't always the best) is that even replacement parts will be restricted to try and force the issue.

Source?

My understanding is that it may apply to new installations, and even that is not decided or enacted into law.

MultiFuelBurner

Insulation is not just for heat pumps as whatever level of efficiency the house is a kWh of heat is a kWh of heat. 

If you have had an offer accepted reducing asking price over replacing and oil boiler with a heat pump system then congratulations you have got one over on the seller as it's simply not required by law as has been explained in previous replies.

If you wish to change the system so you are "less destructive to the environment" then have a survey carried out after purchase for suitability.

I can recommend Octopus who have just come back with a £4k quote for our nans bungalow including the £5k grant discount. 

williamcroome

@Fredw56 - without getting political who knows what the gov are going to do. You may be right. I was just trying to understand how to be best prepared what ever the landscape looks like down the road. 

williamcroome

@MultiFuelBurner - I'm not sure I got one over the seller. They haven't had much interest in the property and I think part of that may be the future uncertainty of oil heating. But further conversations have concerned me. As quite risk adverse I'm trying to get some reassurance that I could manage any future event (within reason). Better to do before exchange than after. Like others have said. There may be no cause for concern, but surely that is something I can increase my chances of knowing. The question is how I do this before exchange. Who do I ask and would they perform on a property not owned by me.

MultiFuelBurner

williamcroome said:

@MultiFuelBurner - I'm not sure I got one over the seller. They haven't had much interest in the property and I think part of that may be the future uncertainty of oil heating. But further conversations have concerned me. As quite risk adverse I'm trying to get some reassurance that I could manage any future event (within reason). Better to do before exchange than after. Like others have said. There may be no cause for concern, but surely that is something I can increase my chances of knowing. The question is how I do this before exchange. Who do I ask and would they perform on a property not owned by me.

Have you bought and sold a property before?

What did you think was reasonable or what would be reasonable before you binned off a buyer?

You could ask a company to survey for a heat pump with the sellers approval. They may be ok with this but something to ask for once the rest of the buying wheels are in motion.

And a suggested ban the sale of new oil boilers by 2026 looks unlikely to survive, with with former-Environment Secretary George Eustice describing the idea as a ‘rural ULEZ’

Quoted from

https://environmentjournal.online/energy/uk-energy-bill-kills-oil-boiler-ban-but-approves-onshore-wind/