Renewable Heating Hub Heat Pump Forums

Search with Wattson
Forums
Renewable Heating
Air-to-Air Heat Pum...
Heat pump running c...
 
Notifications
Clear all

Joining the Renewable Heating Hub forums is completely free and only takes a minute. By registering you’ll be able to ask questions, join discussions, follow topics you’re interested in, bookmark useful threads and receive notifications when someone replies. Non-registered members also do not have access to our AI features. When choosing your username, please note that it cannot be changed later, so we recommend avoiding brand or product names. Before registering, please take a moment to read the Forum Rules & Terms of Use so we can keep the community helpful, respectful and informative for everyone. Thanks for joining!

Heat pump running costs – what has actually worked for you?

 
Air-to-Air Heat Pumps & Air Conditioning
Last Post by JamesPa 57 minutes ago
2 Posts
2 Users
0 Reactions
10 Views
RSS
 kellymcdart
(@kellymcdart)
New Member Member
Joined: 1 day ago
Posts: 1
Topic starter 07/08/2026 10:15 am   [#3130]

Hi everyone,

I’m still trying to get my head around heat pumps and how much difference the settings really make to running costs. There seems to be quite a lot of conflicting advice, especially around flow temperature, weather compensation and whether it’s better to let the system run steadily rather than turning it down for parts of the day.

For those who have had an air source heat pump for a while, what changes have made the biggest difference to your electricity usage?

I’m particularly interested in real-world experience rather than manufacturer figures. Things like changing the flow temperature, adjusting the heating curve, improving insulation, or changing the heating schedule.

Also, has anyone found that a small change in settings made a surprisingly big difference to comfort or efficiency?

Would be really interested to hear what has worked (or not worked) for other owners.



   
Quote
JamesPa
 JamesPa
(@jamespa)
Illustrious Member Moderator
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 5248
07/08/2026 3:36 pm  

For me it is a case of keep it simple and follow the 'general' advice.  On 24x7, weather compensation adjusted to min possible consistent with heating the house, active TRV on only 1 radiator (as a courtesy to guests) plus one fancoil, otherwise normal radiators balanced on the LSVs.  Whole house heated with upstairs a bit cooler than downstairs.  I haven't changed much other than swapping from 'active' mode (which tweaks the system according to measured room temperature as well as using weather compensation) to pure weather compensation without room influence, the latter being more comfortable in my house.   

Basically its the classic open loop setup controlled by outside temperature alone.  The only exception to this is right at the end of the season where I switch back to active mode to help combat excess daytime solar gain.

20% cheaper than gas the first year, about the same/a bit less than gas the second year, because of less generous electricity tariff.  In both cases I am ignoring completely the beneficial effect of my solar panels (which in the shoulder season contribute somewhat and I have no battery. 

I have now lost interest in doing the comparison with gas, its about the same or cheaper and much more comfortable.  If I were to get a battery (which I will once plug in is available) it would consistently be cheaper and this winter, given the change is gas/electricity price ratio caused by the war and government policy changes, its likely to be quite a bit cheaper anyway this coming season.

 


4kW peak of solar PV since 2011; EV and a 1930s house which has been partially renovated to improve its efficiency. 7kW Vaillant heat pump.


   
ReplyQuote
Forum Jump:
  Previous Topic

Currently viewing this topic 1 user ( Mars ) and 2 guests.

Recently viewed by users: cathodeRay 23 minutes ago, JamesPa 57 minutes ago.

Share:

SPONSORS

Join Us!

Installer Finder

Degrees of Separation

Latest Posts

SPONSORS

Click to access the login or register cheese
Protected By
Shield Security PRO