FAQs

No, it’s quite simple. You are advised to regularly check that the air inlet grill and evaporator are free of leaves and debris and have an annual Service carried out as you would with any heating appliance.

AHP’s Coefficient of Performance, or COP, refers to the amount of energy produced by the heat pump compared to the amount of energy used to run it. The higher the COP, the more efficient the technology.

For example, an electric fire using 1kWh of electricity to generate 1kWh of heat would have a COP of 1 – making it 100% efficient as it uses the same amount of energy as it generates. A HP that uses 1kWh of electricity to generate 4kWh of heat would have a COP of 4 and is 400% efficient, extracting an additional 3kWh of heat from the Air/Ground to provide heating and hot water.

Absolutely! Underfloor heating (UFH) is at its most efficient when operating at lower flow temperatures – HPs provide a low-level, constant heat, making them a perfect partner for UFH.

MCS-compliant Heat Pump installations qualify for 7 years of RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) payments, which can be used to offset the cost of the installation. An average three bedroom house EPC stating20,000kWh of heating and hot water requirement per year could qualify for in the region of £11,700 for ASHPs and up to £33,000 for GSHP based on a EPC of 30,000kWh. Index linked over 7 years of payments.

This depends on your usage pattern and what system of heating you currently use. For oil, LPG or direct electric heating the savings will be considerable and for the lifetime of the Heat Pump.

Air Source Heat Pump Installations may be considered ‘Permitted Development’, so you probably won’t need planning permission. However, if in a conservation area, a listed building or the unit selected is above a certain size(most are under this) it may be required. Please contact us to discuss this if you are concerned.

Potentially yes however what does ‘bigger’ mean. In most circumstances your existing radiators may be suitable, and this will be established after a Technical Heat Loss survey on your home. If however you do require some upgrading a lot of the time this just means from a single panel to a double panel with convectors therefore not actually increasing the footprint of the said radiators.

The solar energy you generate through your solar panels and store in your solar battery can make a significant contribution towards powering your home and greatly reduce your annual energy bills.

In terms of the ideal number of solar panels or batteries for your home, it will depend on your home energy profile and the available space on your roof.

The life expectancy of a PV panel is 25-30 years, though there will be some degradation over time resulting in a decrease in energy output.

Abacus offers tier-one rated panels which come with a 25-year ‘power output warranty’. This typically guarantees they’ll still be producing at least 80% of their initial rated peak output after 25 years. So, the output is expected to decrease by an average of less than 1% per year.