Energy Matters | Issue 9 | 2022
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Your Heat Pump questions answered Elmhurst’s Existing Dwellings Support Team has noticed a shift in the number of queries relating to heating systems. Following the release of the government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, the focus is now on heat pumps.
Damien Roberts, Existing Dwellings Manager
What is a heat pump and how do they work? There are different types of heat pumps such as air to water, water to air, and ground to water. They all work similar in concept to a fridge; they take heat from a low temperature source (like the air)
and transfer this heat energy through a compressor, which increases the pressure of the energy thus increasing the heat. The heat is then circulated around the home through a heat exchanger. Heat pumps are very efficient, with a greater quantity of heat being delivered through the home compared to the electricity it uses to generate this heat. The fact that they are a low carbon heating system is why government and the energy assessment industry are pushing to raise awareness and implement measures to encourage people to install them.
How does a heat pump reflect on an EPC? Although Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) do report the carbon emissions, the headline rating is a cost-based metric. The methodology for EPCs (SAP)
