Heat Pump

[bluesince76]

Thanks to everyone. Interesting reading about heat pumps. Some of it is at odds with what I’ve been reading online and from what the (so called) heating experts are saying about heat pumps, but I’m happy to go with what has been posted on here. :-)

I live in an ex-council house. TBH It’s a pretty cold house, especially during the Autumn and Winter months. It takes a lot of heating via the central heating system to get the house warm during the winter months. The double glazed windows are at least 20+ years old, if not older, and need replacing. I’m not sure if the house has cavity wall insulation or not. How do check that? The loft is insulated, but even that doesn’t look great, when I’ve looked at it. That probably needs replacing. I’ve got laminate flooring throughout downstairs which isn’t great at retaining heat or keeping heat it in. I’ve got a new combi-boiler that was installed about 2 years ago, which works really well. My radiators are a few years old, so they should be efficient. I bleed them on a regular basis. In a nutshell, I just want to get my house warmer in the Autumn and Winter months, as well as trying to keep my energy bills down.(see below) ATM I’m keeping warm via fleece clothing, an electric blanket on my bed and in my living room, which are really good and cheap to run, and the central heating when it’s really cold. I’m a bit of a tight b@stard with money, if the truth be told. :-/

My last online electricity and gas bill from the 13th of November to the 10th of December was, Electricity £85.26, Gas £18.27.

I’ve ruled out a heat pump after reading your advice. :-)

What about solar panels? As you can see from my electricity and gas bill, my electricity is pretty high in comparison to my gas. Again, I’ve read positive reviews and articles on solar panels. Obviously they save you money on your electricity bills long—term, but you can also sell your spare electricity back to the energy company/national grid. I don’t use much electricity in the Summer months, so that would produce some additional incoming for my electricity and gas bills.

Which of the following 4 would you invest in first this year in time for the Autumn and Winter months?

1. New double glazing throughout the house.
2. Cavity wall insulation. (If I need it?)
3. New loft insulation.
4. Solar panels.

Once again, thanks for all the advice. :-)

We got solar panels and battery back up in November 22, so just over a year of usage.

Due to the style of roof, it's not the best layout for the panels, but in summer can get 20+kWh a day, which is more than enough to run washer, dryer, oven etc. You also get some back to the grid, but most rates for that are pretty poor, so don't bother considering it in and calcs and take it as a bonus meal out once a year.

However, I reckon the better bit are the batteries and the cheap overnight electric they give access to. We get 4 hours overnight at 9p/kW. We have a tendency to run the dishwasher and dryer then, unless it's a sunny day, plus top up the batteries. We've got about 11kwh of battery, so about £1 to fill from empty and would get us through the day. But even for that, you'll be looking at about £7k at a guess, although rumours that VAT will be removed from batteries in the budget

 

[jrb]

We got solar panels and battery back up in November 22, so just over a year of usage.

Due to the style of roof, it's not the best layout for the panels, but in summer can get 20+kWh a day, which is more than enough to run washer, dryer, oven etc. You also get some back to the grid, but most rates for that are pretty poor, so don't bother considering it in and calcs and take it as a bonus meal out once a year.

However, I reckon the better bit are the batteries and the cheap overnight electric they give access to. We get 4 hours overnight at 9p/kW. We have a tendency to run the dishwasher and dryer then, unless it's a sunny day, plus top up the batteries. We've got about 11kwh of battery, so about £1 to fill from empty and would get us through the day. But even for that, you'll be looking at about £7k at a guess, although rumours that VAT will be removed from batteries in the budget

Thanks.

I’m with Octopus Energy. I’ve asked for a solar panel quote with and without a battery.

Octopus Energy are currently offering £1000 off installation if you order in January. https://octopus.energy/homesolar/

I’m happy to pay upfront now as I know I will recoup the money back in the long run. Energy prices are only going to go up, bar some fluctuations.

I’ve recently bought a more energy efficient washing machine and heat pump tumble dryer in the January sales. It will take time to get the money back and see a return on those 2 items, but it will happen eventually.

​

 

[blumoonrisen]

Thanks to everyone. Interesting reading about heat pumps. Some of it is at odds with what I’ve been reading online and from what the (so called) heating experts are saying about heat pumps, but I’m happy to go with what has been posted on here. :-)

I live in an ex-council house. TBH It’s a pretty cold house, especially during the Autumn and Winter months. It takes a lot of heating via the central heating system to get the house warm during the winter months. The double glazed windows are at least 20+ years old, if not older, and need replacing. I’m not sure if the house has cavity wall insulation or not. How do check that? The loft is insulated, but even that doesn’t look great, when I’ve looked at it. That probably needs replacing. I’ve got laminate flooring throughout downstairs which isn’t great at retaining heat or keeping heat it in. I’ve got a new combi-boiler that was installed about 2 years ago, which works really well. My radiators are a few years old, so they should be efficient. I bleed them on a regular basis. In a nutshell, I just want to get my house warmer in the Autumn and Winter months, as well as trying to keep my energy bills down.(see below) ATM I’m keeping warm via fleece clothing, an electric blanket on my bed and in my living room, which are really good and cheap to run, and the central heating when it’s really cold. I’m a bit of a tight b@stard with money, if the truth be told. :-/

My last online electricity and gas bill from the 13th of November to the 10th of December was, Electricity £85.26, Gas £18.27.

I’ve ruled out a heat pump after reading your advice. :-)

What about solar panels? As you can see from my electricity and gas bill, my electricity is pretty high in comparison to my gas. Again, I’ve read positive reviews and articles on solar panels. Obviously they save you money on your electricity bills long—term, but you can also sell your spare electricity back to the energy company/national grid. I don’t use much electricity in the Summer months, so that would produce some additional incoming for my electricity and gas bills.

Which of the following 4 would you invest in first this year in time for the Autumn and Winter months?

1. New double glazing throughout the house.
2. Cavity wall insulation. (If I need it?)
3. New loft insulation.
4. Solar panels.

Once again, thanks for all the advice. :-)

Replacing your double glazed windows won't offer any noticeable thermal benefit, that's a cosmetic thing.
Loft insulation can be added to, no need to remove the existing.
Cavity wall insulation will certainly make a difference, in some cases it can cause damp issues when it can bridge the cavity but despite what some might say it is unlikely as long as the external wall is well pointed and your damp proof course is ok.
In a nutshell, all forms of insulation are effective, the more the better.
Draught proofing is important too of course.

 

[jrb]

Replacing your double glazed windows won't offer any noticeable thermal benefit, that's a cosmetic thing.
Loft insulation can be added to, no need to remove the existing.
Cavity wall insulation will certainly make a difference, in some cases it can cause damp issues when it can bridge the cavity but despite what some might say it is unlikely as long as the external wall is well pointed and your damp proof course is ok.
In a nutshell, all forms of insulation are effective, the more the better.
Draught proofing is important too of course.

Thanks.

Just checked the energy efficient rating for my address. It’s D. :-( It has the potential to go up to B. :-) One of the recommendations is cavity fill, but it states, Cavity wall, as built, no insulation (assumed).

Not great. :-(

Energy performance certificate (EPC) – Find an energy certificate – GOV.UK

find-energy-certificate.service.gov.uk

I’ve always assumed better, more modern, and up to date double glazing keeps more heat in compared to old double glazing, as well as being better looking, as you say,

 

[blumoonrisen]

Thanks.

Just checked the energy efficient rating for my address. It’s D. :-( It has the potential to go up to B. :-) One of the recommendations is cavity fill, but it states, Cavity wall, as built, no insulation (assumed).

Not great. :-(

Energy performance certificate (EPC) – Find an energy certificate – GOV.UK

find-energy-certificate.service.gov.uk

I’ve always assumed better, more modern, and up to date double glazing keeps more heat in compared to old double glazing, as well as being better looking, as you say,

As long as there are no draughts from your windows due to faulty seals around opening casement, and your double glazed units haven't blown (misted up and signs of condensation inside the units) then new windows won't make a difference. You can change the glass to k glass but the difference is minimal.
The alternative to cavity insulation is to line external walls with insulation panels but that is far more costly than insulating the cavity.
I live in a 50's brick semi, I have a couple of layers in the loft and cavity insulation. At the mo we put the heating on for a couple of hrs in the morning, then it's on for bout 4 hrs in the evening. Long as the internal doors are kept shut the heat stays in.
I'm a joiner/builder with 42 yrs experience, I know bout that sort of thing but I'm not clued up on solar panels, my understanding is it takes many years to see financial benefits.
Most heat loss is through the walls and roof, floors not so much as heat rises.
For the record we had the heating on from 5 till 9 today, its currently 2am and just above freezing outside, I'm sat here with a room temp of 16 degrees. I've got a few layers on but I'm not cold..!

 

[Coatigan]

Thanks to everyone. Interesting reading about heat pumps. Some of it is at odds with what I’ve been reading online and from what the (so called) heating experts are saying about heat pumps, but I’m happy to go with what has been posted on here. :-)

I live in an ex-council house. TBH It’s a pretty cold house, especially during the Autumn and Winter months. It takes a lot of heating via the central heating system to get the house warm during the winter months. The double glazed windows are at least 20+ years old, if not older, and need replacing. I’m not sure if the house has cavity wall insulation or not. How do check that? The loft is insulated, but even that doesn’t look great, when I’ve looked at it. That probably needs replacing. I’ve got laminate flooring throughout downstairs which isn’t great at retaining heat or keeping heat it in. I’ve got a new combi-boiler that was installed about 2 years ago, which works really well. My radiators are a few years old, so they should be efficient. I bleed them on a regular basis. In a nutshell, I just want to get my house warmer in the Autumn and Winter months, as well as trying to keep my energy bills down.(see below) ATM I’m keeping warm via fleece clothing, an electric blanket on my bed and in my living room, which are really good and cheap to run, and the central heating when it’s really cold. I’m a bit of a tight b@stard with money, if the truth be told. :-/

My last online electricity and gas bill from the 13th of November to the 10th of December was, Electricity £85.26, Gas £18.27.

I’ve ruled out a heat pump after reading your advice. :-)

What about solar panels? As you can see from my electricity and gas bill, my electricity is pretty high in comparison to my gas. Again, I’ve read positive reviews and articles on solar panels. Obviously they save you money on your electricity bills long—term, but you can also sell your spare electricity back to the energy company/national grid. I don’t use much electricity in the Summer months, so that would produce some additional incoming for my electricity and gas bills.

Which of the following 4 would you invest in first this year in time for the Autumn and Winter months?

1. New double glazing throughout the house.
2. Cavity wall insulation. (If I need it?)
3. New loft insulation.
4. Solar panels.

Once again, thanks for all the advice. :-)

Out of the 4, windows will make the biggest and most noticeable difference. IF, (and I highly stress the if) they are at the end of their lifespan, I.e the seals are going, you are getting drafts, maybe noticing condensation in the early winter months etc. If they are still performing, the improvement might be marginal.

Cavity insulation is a fucking minefield, and needs done right, otherwise you will have damp issues and could see
yourself pumping it out in say a decade. Be really careful. Will make a difference, but has risks.

Adding loft insulation is probably the cheapest and most basic way to make a large part of a house warmer.

By solar, assume you mean photovoltaic, that won't make a difference to your house being warmer or your heating bill. It will reduce your electric consumption, how long that takes to pay off all depends on what you go for, where it is facing, current use etc.

If it were me, probably in that order but skipping 2, without properly assessing it. There are internal lining products that help old houses, but means a lot of internal redoing, and imo work better on the really older houses, like 100 years old rather than say 40.

A heat pump won't do anything for you that the above will. Yes it will 'help the planet' by being one less gas boiler for the longer term, but won't make your house warmer, more efficient, or help your energy bills. Maybe with the way gas prices are going we might hit a point where even a heat pump on 24/7 and drawing power from the grid costs less (Which is why a lot of folk are jumping at the grants and what is being used to sell them currently) but as things are they are still not the answer, for properties that aren't designed with them in mind.

 

[Coatigan]

Replacing your double glazed windows won't offer any noticeable thermal benefit, that's a cosmetic thing.
Loft insulation can be added to, no need to remove the existing.
Cavity wall insulation will certainly make a difference, in some cases it can cause damp issues when it can bridge the cavity but despite what some might say it is unlikely as long as the external wall is well pointed and your damp proof course is ok.
In a nutshell, all forms of insulation are effective, the more the better.
Draught proofing is important too of course.

Depends on the state the windows are in, and their initial quality, as above.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

Thanks to everyone. Interesting reading about heat pumps. Some of it is at odds with what I’ve been reading online and from what the (so called) heating experts are saying about heat pumps, but I’m happy to go with what has been posted on here. :-)

I live in an ex-council house. TBH It’s a pretty cold house, especially during the Autumn and Winter months. It takes a lot of heating via the central heating system to get the house warm during the winter months. The double glazed windows are at least 20+ years old, if not older, and need replacing. I’m not sure if the house has cavity wall insulation or not. How do check that? The loft is insulated, but even that doesn’t look great, when I’ve looked at it. That probably needs replacing. I’ve got laminate flooring throughout downstairs which isn’t great at retaining heat or keeping heat it in. I’ve got a new combi-boiler that was installed about 2 years ago, which works really well. My radiators are a few years old, so they should be efficient. I bleed them on a regular basis. In a nutshell, I just want to get my house warmer in the Autumn and Winter months, as well as trying to keep my energy bills down.(see below) ATM I’m keeping warm via fleece clothing, an electric blanket on my bed and in my living room, which are really good and cheap to run, and the central heating when it’s really cold. I’m a bit of a tight b@stard with money, if the truth be told. :-/

My last online electricity and gas bill from the 13th of November to the 10th of December was, Electricity £85.26, Gas £18.27.

I’ve ruled out a heat pump after reading your advice. :-)

What about solar panels? As you can see from my electricity and gas bill, my electricity is pretty high in comparison to my gas. Again, I’ve read positive reviews and articles on solar panels. Obviously they save you money on your electricity bills long—term, but you can also sell your spare electricity back to the energy company/national grid. I don’t use much electricity in the Summer months, so that would produce some additional incoming for my electricity and gas bills.

Which of the following 4 would you invest in first this year in time for the Autumn and Winter months?

1. New double glazing throughout the house.
2. Cavity wall insulation. (If I need it?)
3. New loft insulation.
4. Solar panels.

Once again, thanks for all the advice. :-)

Porridge is 90p a kg at Aldi. Lasts about a month for me so that’s £5.40 for 6 months supply. Then buy a decent heated gilet for about £150, cost about £1 a day to charge up.

Under £400 a year.


;)

 

[jrb]

I‘ve managed to dig out the double glazing paperwork. Bar the patio doors which were put in a couple of years ago, the rest of the double glazing was put in by CES windows. Dated 21/5/2012. Total price including VAT £4878.00.

There’s annoying plastic strips on the inside of the double glazing stuck on to the wooden window frames. Some of the sealant is loose and coming away around the window frames. There‘s small mold patches on some of the window frames.(which I’ll wipe off tomorrow) You can feel the draft around some of the window frames when it’s windy.

Pictures of some of the windows.

I think it’s time to replace the double glazing windows and doors, isn’t it?

Regarding solar panels. The front of the roof is north facing, the back of the roof is south facing. I pretty much get constant Sun/Sunlight when the Sun is out all day long from east to south across the right side and the back of the roof (and in my back garden), if you know what I mean?

 

[93.20]

Thanks to everyone. Interesting reading about heat pumps. Some of it is at odds with what I’ve been reading online and from what the (so called) heating experts are saying about heat pumps, but I’m happy to go with what has been posted on here. :-)

I live in an ex-council house. TBH It’s a pretty cold house, especially during the Autumn and Winter months. It takes a lot of heating via the central heating system to get the house warm during the winter months. The double glazed windows are at least 20+ years old, if not older, and need replacing. I’m not sure if the house has cavity wall insulation or not. How do check that? The loft is insulated, but even that doesn’t look great, when I’ve looked at it. That probably needs replacing. I’ve got laminate flooring throughout downstairs which isn’t great at retaining heat or keeping heat it in. I’ve got a new combi-boiler that was installed about 2 years ago, which works really well. My radiators are a few years old, so they should be efficient. I bleed them on a regular basis. In a nutshell, I just want to get my house warmer in the Autumn and Winter months, as well as trying to keep my energy bills down.(see below) ATM I’m keeping warm via fleece clothing, an electric blanket on my bed and in my living room, which are really good and cheap to run, and the central heating when it’s really cold. I’m a bit of a tight b@stard with money, if the truth be told. :-/

My last online electricity and gas bill from the 13th of November to the 10th of December was, Electricity £85.26, Gas £18.27.

I’ve ruled out a heat pump after reading your advice. :-)

What about solar panels? As you can see from my electricity and gas bill, my electricity is pretty high in comparison to my gas. Again, I’ve read positive reviews and articles on solar panels. Obviously they save you money on your electricity bills long—term, but you can also sell your spare electricity back to the energy company/national grid. I don’t use much electricity in the Summer months, so that would produce some additional incoming for my electricity and gas bills.

Which of the following 4 would you invest in first this year in time for the Autumn and Winter months?

1. New double glazing throughout the house.
2. Cavity wall insulation. (If I need it?)
3. New loft insulation.
4. Solar panels.

Once again, thanks for all the advice. :-)

The presence of cavity wall insulation is indicated by small drill holes around the external walls of a house, which have been sealed.