Costs of installing a typical system range from about £5,000 to £15,000. Running costs will depend on a number of factors - including the size of your home and how well insulated it is.

Savings - will vary depending on many factors, some are outlined below. It is important that the system is controlled appropriately for your needs.

The heat distribution system: If you have the opportunity, underfloor heating can provide greater efficiencies than radiators because the water doesn’t need to be heated to such a high temperature. If underfloor heating isn’t possible, then use the largest radiators you can. Your installer should be able to advise on this.

Fuel costs: you will still have to pay fuel bills with a heat pump because they are powered by electricity. The saving you achieve can be affected by the price of the fuel you are replacing and the price of the electricity for the heat pump.

Efficiency of old and new system: the efficiency of the old heating system will affect how much you spent on heating bills previously. If the old heating system was inefficient heating bills could have been high and the difference between the new running costs and the old running costs will be greater, therefore providing a greater saving.

Hot water: if the system is providing hot water as well as space heating: the provision of hot water can lower system efficiencies, therefore making running costs higher.

Temperature setting: if you heat your home to much higher temperatures with a new heat pump system than you did with an old heating system then you will experience greater comfort benefits, but heating bills could be higher than if you continued with the same heating pattern. It’s a good idea to set thermostats to around 18 to 21 degrees centigrade.

Using the controls: learn how to control the system so you can get the most out of it. We will explain to you how to control the system so you can use it most effectively.
To reduce your home's CO2 emissions further, consider using solar water heating to provide low carbon hot water in the summer months.

Using typical system efficiencies from the Energy Savings Trust field trial the following savings have been modelled when replacing an existing heating system in a 3 bed semi detached home.