Ground source heat pump

jlstxi

I’ve recently moved to new build estate and all houses have ground source heat pumps. We have a company who installed the main linked underground supply and are responsible for this outside all properties but individual homes have to contribute to this company monthly based on house size towards the maintenance of this and for them to use the solutions needed within the system to generate the heat from underground. These charges range from approximately £55 monthly for two bed up to £95 monthly for five bed properties. The residents think this is very steep and that we can have this increased every April but can’t see how we can get a way to reduce these fees. The savings from the heat pump are being negated by these charges. Anyone else experienced a similar situation?

Flugelhorn

not sure that you are in the right bit if the forum - I think there is a fuel section somewhere

sausage_time

Moved to Heat Pumps. 😎

squirrelpie

You say "the main linked underground supply", which makes me wonder whether this is some kind of shared heat network? A normal ground source heat pump has some pipes normally laid in your garden or in boreholes under your garden or house. There'd be no need to keep paying the company that installed it every month. So I think it would be helpful to expalain a bit more about the type of heating you have got, so we can better understand your problem. Is there a description of these heating systems online anywhere, or do you konw the manufacturer's name and the model numbers?

QrizB

You say "the main linked underground supply", which makes me wonder whether this is some kind of shared heat network?

My reading of it is that the OP's development has a single shared underground loop for their individual GSHPs. This could be installed under a common area.

The monthly fee is for maintenance of this common underground loop.

Netexporter

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81902140#Comment_81902140

Yes, my reading is that it is a common borehole or ground-loop. Were the costs not spelled out in the sale documentation? Often new developments common areas are maintained by a private contractor, with a monthly/annual fee, rather than them being maintained by the local authority as part of the council tax bill. Does this payment perhaps include all shared common services?

Arunmor

We have a personal GSHP with a 700m ground loop at a depth of 1m which has been in place for 15+ years All we have had to do is every now and again top up the ground loops. It takes a few years to get all the air out the system but over the last few years it maybe takes half a liter a year. Cost minimal.

£55/month needs exploring and understanding of what is going on. My system will take out 4-5C out of the system and if you were next in line you machine would need to work a little harder, which obviously will get progressively worse.

So that strikes me not how your system will work so more likely a borehole or more than one.

Find out how your system actually works.

MWT

Definitely more information needed, and you would have expected that information to have been provided during the house purchase process…

If this is a single system servicing multiple homes then there may also be some electricity cost for pumping as part of that monthly figure.

How many houses are connected on the site?

MWT

Found this with a quick search, not sure if it is similar/same :

https://www.thermalearth.co.uk/shared-ground-loop

Interesting to note it lists a key benefit as being low maintenance costs…

I wonder if that monthly cost includes the annual maintenance of the individual heat-pumps at each house?