Electrification of heat

• A heat pump is a modern alternative to an oil or gas boiler. Rather than burning fossil fuels, it uses energy from the air or ground to heat your home.
• Heat Pumps are extremely efficient and keep your home comfortable at all times - never too hot or cold.
• A heat pump requires electricity to run, but typically will produce three to four units of heat for every unit of electricity consumed.
• More and more of the electricity used by heat pumps is coming from renewable sources, like wind.
• Heat pumps popularity is increasing and over half of new homes in Ireland are being built with heat pumps installed.

For more information:

Most heat pump systems in Ireland draw heat from the air or ground. They heat the rooms as well as the hot water needed for baths, showers and sinks. Rooms are usually heated via radiators or underfloor heating.

Air Source

The most common heat pump systems extract heat from external air. They are cheaper and easier to install compared to ground source heat pump systems.

• Air-to-water is the most common system in Irish homes. Heat is distributed through radiators and underfloor heating.
• Exhaust air-to-water heat pump systems are similar to air-to-water but include mechanical extract ventilation and recover heat from air drawn from the dwelling.
• Air-to-air heat pump systems distribute heat through air units. Air to air heat pump systems do not provide hot water.

Ground Source

A ground source heat pump system draws heat from the ground using underground pipework. This heat is then used to heat the rooms and hot water tank.

In many cases a customer's standard Maximum Import Capacity (MIC) of 12kVA, will suffice.

Your electrical contractor will be able to advise you on your demand connection requirements.

If customers need to change their supply they can apply online.

To apply:

This will depend on the type of heat pump you install.

Manufacturers supply a wide range of single-phase heat pumps. In most cases a customer's standard, 12kVA, single phase connection will suffice. Your electrical contractor or heat pump supplier will be able to advise you on your supply connection requirements.

Because heat pumps use electricity to gather the free heat energy in the air or the ground, your electricity consumption will increase. But remember, you won't have oil or gas bills anymore, so your overall expenditure on energy will be considerably less.

Yes. Grants are available for heat pump systems.

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Heat pump systems heat radiators to a lower temperature than conventional boilers and work best in well-insulated homes.

Note: If your house has a poor energy rating, other works such as insulation or draught-proofing may be required.

Such measures will improve the comfort and reduce the heating costs of your home. A Technical Advisor can confirm if your house is suitable or not and what measures may be required to bring your home up to standard.

Technical Advisors:

SEAI also offers grants for home insulation:

Heat pumps do cost more than installing a gas or oil boiler. The cost varies according to specification, manufacturer and supplier and other plumbing that may be required, such as a new hot water cylinder.

It is worth getting multiple quotes for installation before proceeding.

Payback depends on several factors:

• energy use
• The cost of any insulation works - you should discuss this with your supplier.

Increased comfort levels and reduced impact on the environment are two key benefits.

The most obvious time to install a heat pump is when the heating system needs replacement or when other renovation works are taking place.

To meet the building regulations, new build homes must use renewable energy:

• Solar panels (alongside a fossil fuel boiler) or
• A heat pump.

Note: There is little difference in cost between these two options. However, the heat pump option produces lower carbon emissions. Under the Climate Action Plan, fossil fuel boilers will be banned in the coming years.

Yes. Heat pumps are officially classed as providers of renewable energy by the EU and the International Energy Agency.

Therefore, using a heat pump will comply with the requirements regarding conservation of fuel and energy for new dwellings in Part L of the Building Regulations.