@zoomuno I would genuinely recommend you ask Brendon to cast an eye over this install to see what improvements can be made (there will be many) - you'll end up with just as much cost with your proposed gas boiler install.

Posted by: @zoomuno

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Thanks, @heacol Yes, it looks as though I have been very badly let down (fleeced) by one installer. I had a full new central heating system installed (so pipework throughout the house). Amongst other things, a different plumber has told me the pipe size is too small, affecting flow rate and making running costs much higher. I'm very ill (long term) and after a year of trying have nothing left to fight this with, so am looking into cutting my (unfortutely significant) costs and starting again. If I do back to a gas boiler, I guess at least I know what I'm working with!

Posted by: @zoomuno

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I'm selling it because, although the heat pump and cylinder are fine, the installation unfortunately isn't. It's a Midea Monobloc 10kW.

If you don't mind stating, who was your installer?

Thank you all for your kind suggestions, which are much appreciated. Health issues mean that I don't have any further capacity to try and solve the heat pump, so just need to find a way to sell it on and move on. If anyone can suggest any sustainability, self-build or similar groups whose members might be interested, please do let me know.

@zoomuno By the time you've paid someone to remove it (at the same time as you have paid to have a new gas combi installed, otherwise you'll be without heating and hot water) then you might as well stick with what you've got and simply pay Brendon to come and fix it/commission it properly. You will end up with lower running costs and a healthier indoor environment if you stick with this system.

One thing you don't want is the buyer removing it, otherwise you'll then be completely without heating and hot water. I buy a lot of second hand gear, I wouldn't want to remove it and leave the seller without heating and a mess of pipes everywhere.

If you do want to sell it, stick it up on Buildhub, someone will come and remove it for you (and leave you without any form of heating)

This is a painful thread as clearly the poster doesn't have the energy to attempt to make the heat pump install more efficient at the moment. 

Health issues, comparables with their old boiler and a non normal usage pattern, and their fixed income is complicating matters. I don't know what their life expectancy is, the money they can afford, their heating needs if their health gets worse. 

They were paying £373 a year for gas and electric with their old setup, pre the price increases we have all seen. They were very careful as they have said. This is a user with an energy pattern that myself and many others wound not live with. We don't know what kWh this was which would help but £373 is very low. We also don't know what unit rate this was. My unit rate for gas went from 2.75p a unit in the period the poster is quoting to 9.81p ex VAT now, a 357% increase. Some digging on what the £373 actually is would be useful even if switching back to gas. 

Even allowing for price rises this is a very frugal user. I am no expert, but this type of user does not make gas vs heat pump comparisons easy simply based on previous usage patterns. 

Whoever helps this poster sort out their heat pump or install a gas boiler or A2A heat pump needs to be very careful they leave the poster with the best system in the circumstances. 

We may well see people with unusual usage patterns, low fixed income, pre payment meters etc that will need more hand holding through the transition to heat pumps. 

Phew... For most of the period in question my rate was actually 2.107p for gas (an old Scottish Power fixed rate) before increasing to 2.75p (OVO fixed rate) and now 9.81p (Energy Price Guarantee) 

That is a staggering 466% increase from 2.107p to 9.81p. I had forgotten just how big the increases have been for some gas customers. 

Thank you @jeff Ifor your very thoughtful message. You sum up my situation well. I think you're right: there are many, many of us in circumstances of precarity and some of us for whom heat pumps and the like aren't (currently) the answer. The renewables sector does need to grapple with this to ensure that others don't get burned as I have. Good wishes to everyone on this forum; you're doing an amazing job to extend the reach of renewables.