When the oil boiler failed at Fabian’s detached home in West Cork, Ireland, he opted for a Baxi air source heat pump (ASHP), transforming an unexpected breakdown into a future-ready upgrade. The installation has resulted in substantial running cost savings and an improved home energy rating, all while delivering consistent comfort and quiet operation.
The 263m² property, built in 2007 and home to five people, already had strong fundamentals for electrification and a Building Energy Rating assessment rating of B3 – equivalent to a high Band C or low Band B UK Energy Performance Rating – and a heat loss indicator of 2.12. This indicated the property was well suited to a heat pump without major fabric upgrades. The house already had solar thermal and solar PV installed.
Rising oil costs and the availability of strong grant support were further incentives to move away from oil and invest in a heat pump system.
Fabian said: “When we looked at the options, installing a heat pump seemed like the better long-term choice from a running cost point of view. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grant of €12,500 (around £10, 800) was a huge incentive.”
Working with Kevin Crowley from Greenlight Solutions, Baxi provided full system design support on the project, specifying a Baxi HP60 ASHP. The system was designed to retain the home’s existing steel radiators, reducing disruption and avoiding unnecessary replacement costs. The system integrates with the solar system via a third-party cylinder.
Finding a suitable location for the outdoor unit was an important consideration.
The HP60 unit’s compact landscape design allowed greater siting flexibility and installation beneath the window.
“The house feels more consistently warm throughout the day now and the comfort levels have been very good,” Fabian added.“The outdoor unit is also very quiet. We don’t really notice it running.”
Over two winter months the home required approximately 4,850kWh of heat for around €330 (£285) in electricity costs, compared to €849 (£733) using oil at current prices, or approximately €478 (£413) when prices were lower.
This means the heat pump is around three times cheaper to run than oil at today’s prices and still around 40% cheaper even when oil prices were lower.
Crowley said: “Having Baxi take care of the heat loss calculations, system sizing and radiator selection is huge when you’re installing a heat pump and want confidence that everything is right from the start.” www.baxi.co.uk