A Heat Pump in the Country!
Our client and owner of a beautiful 16th Century Manor house, agreed to take the time to talk to us about his experiences with the Reina Group.
As we approached the stunning property in Aldington, Kent we were welcomed by the occupant of the house for over 60 years. The interior of the 16 roomed house reminded me of a scene out of Pride & Prejudice with many of the original features still apparent. We sat in the kitchen which you would expect to be comfortable, with a double Aga standing proud but following a guided tour it was evident that all the rooms felt warm which gave the house a comfortable and cosy feel.
The previous heating system was a combined Trianco air source heat pump for hot water, connected to oil central heating. Due to the size of the property and inefficiency of the old heat pump,the current heating system did not work effectively and with oil prices inflating yearly, heating costs were expensive reaching over £4,000 per annum.
After economic consideration and the quality of heat in the house the homeowner decided to investigate the Pro’s & Cons of a new heating system. The property is set in the rural village of Aldington which is off-gas, giving homeowners limited heating options. He decided to ask a reputable local firms for advice, who recommended the Reina Group to him.
Our initial recommendations were to install a Ground Source Heat pump, as the house had a large field at the back of the house, perfect to accommodate the underground looped pipes, although on closer examination having to run through an orchard. It was also suggested that larger radiators were installed in each room to improve the heat output, irrespective of heat source.
After further discussions and recommendations took place it was agreed to install a Nibe ASHP using the oil heating as a backup, when outside temperatures drop below 7 degrees. Simon was keen to keep the original radiators to experiment and see if the Nibe ASHP worked effectively,using only the oil boiler as a backup, in cases of extreme cold weather. So far, the oil boiler has not been used, however mild weather may have influenced this. Simon expects that the true test will come, during the coming colder months after Christmas.
NIBE produce efficient sustainable heating systems and have engineered the newest in technology with their air source heat pumps. NIBE is the market leader for domestic heating products in Europe and say customers could reduce energy consumption by up to 50%.
The benefits of installing an air source heat pump include:
- Reduce energy consumption by up to 50%
- Income through the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive
- No flue gasses or fuel storage
- Heat your home and domestic hot water
- Reduce your carbon footprint
- Maintain a comfortable indoor environment
Installation was smooth fluid leaving a satisfied impression of the Reina Group. The experienced and professional workmanship of our HP Engineer was appreciate.“The complete installation process was slick and well done, I was impressed by the removal of the old water tank and HP, which was successfully recycled locally”.
Today,a cold but sunny November morning, the heating in the property, is on consistently and provides a manageable heat throughout. The first quarter‘s experience is encouraging. The hot water and heating has cost in the region of £450 with no oil being used.The HP has consumed 3033 kWhrs and produced 9548 kWhr which provides a staggering 3/1 plus output.
The client has also applied for The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) which is a Government initiative offering a tariff payment each year, for a set period.
The RHI will be calculated at a set rate per unit of renewable heat produced (kWh) for seven years. For air source heat pumps (ASHP) the rate is 10.49p / kWh.
So far the client speaks highly of his experience with the Reina Group “They appear to be courteous but cautious”. His only criticism was that the RHI paperwork was a little difficult to understand and was rather lengthy. The Reina Group ensured that help was available, and all paperwork submitted was correct.
A second progress report will follow in a year’s time. Watch this space.
