‘I don’t want a heat pump installed, it will cost too much to run.’
And fair enough. But a little education backed with stats can help put your mind at ease.
The running cost of a heat pump in heating mode in winter ranges, from 3 to 16 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of heat produced. In comparison, a traditional electric heater can cost between 19 and 40 cents per unit of heat making it a more expensive option.
The graph below shows a great comparison of power usage from different appliances. According to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), a heat pump has some of the lowest operating costs available:
Heat pumps are effective and are required for any properties with a kw calculation of over 2.4kw.
Below are some handy tips to help you use your heat pumps more effectively:
- Keep the unit on with a consistent temperature between 18-20 degrees. Turing it on and off often will cause it to use more power starting up each time.
- Clean both your indoor and outdoor heat pump filter regularly. It is recommended to do this every 6-12 months depending on the state of the units and their respective components.
- Try not to use heat pumps for cooling/heating other rooms. Heat pumps are sized by professionals for that specific room only, not for the rest of the home.
- Close doors and curtains to keep the heat in.
- Use the timer function to heat the space 15 minutes before you use it, or invest in a Smart WiFi controlled heat pump so you can control it remotely using an app on your smartphone.
*The recommended temperature is between 18 degrees – 20 degrees for children or the elderly, and 16 degrees for bedrooms overnight.
So the simple answer to, “Will a heat pump use more power?” is no, installing a heat pump will in most cases return a saving in electricity.
Source: G-Force Healthy Homes Solutions <sales@gforce.co.nz>
