In recent years, we’ve seen a surge in the number of Irish households availing of generous SEAI retrofitting grants to invest in home energy upgrades. Thousands of homeowners around the country have future-proofed their properties by installing heat pumps and other energy-saving measures.
With financial supports for heat pumps at their highest ever level (including SEAI grants, low-cost loans and reduced VAT on installation), next year will likely be another milestone year in Ireland’s retrofitting journey. Put it this way – whatever your current set-up, your next heating system will probably involve a heat pump.
But you might be wondering, what exactly is involved in getting a heat pump? In the past couple of years, we’ve brought you lots of different stories about ordinary Irish homeowners who have decided to install a Daikin heat pump. Let’s look at some of the things we’ve learned from those real-life journeys.
MORE COMFORT, LOWER ENERGY COSTS: WHY DO PEOPLE DECIDE TO INVEST IN A HEAT PUMP?
This is the first question we always ask – what challenge do you want to overcome by installing a heat pump? Different homeowners have different starting points.
For some, it’s a cost issue as escalating fuel bills create a last-straw moment, or when the time comes to buy a winter’s worth of oil. For others, it’s a desire for more reliable, more consistent comfort or simply an opportunity to cut ties with fossil fuel.
“LOOKING FOR MORE CONSISTENT COMFORT”
For these homeowners in Co. Donegal, the rising cost of oil prompted them to start looking for a more efficient alternative to their traditional boiler system. “We wanted to simplify things by getting away from oil, plus we were looking for a more consistent level of comfort,” they said.
What made the decision even simpler was discovering that their house (like all homes built from 2007 onwards) automatically qualified for a heat pump grant from SEAI.
Read about their heat pump installation here.
TIME TO REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT
For this homeowner, based in rural Co. Wexford, meanwhile, a mix of practical and environmental motivations were behind her decision to install a heat pump.
By heating her home with an oil boiler (supplemented by a free-standing stove), she was going through around 1.5 tanks of oil during the winter and the fuel bills were starting to pile up. At the same time, she recognised that burning fossil fuel was not a sustainable way of living and that a heat pump would help reduce her carbon footprint.
Discover how a heat pump helped here.
DEEP OR SHALLOW RETROFITS: WHAT TYPES OF HOME ENERGY UPGRADES ARE PEOPLE GOING FOR?
Depending on the age, size and energy rating of their current home, Irish homeowners typically choose between a deep retrofit (undergoing multiple home energy upgrades at the same time) which is carried out by a One Stop Shop, or an individual home energy upgrade (installing measures one by one).
For this couple, living in Co. Cork, a shallow retrofit simply wasn’t going to cut it in their “freezing cold”, BER F-rated bungalow. “The house had no insulation,” they said at the time. “We were going through three tanks of oil a year and had to have the fire lighting and the radiators on 16 hours a day. As soon as you turned them off, the heat went out through the walls and you were freezing again.”
DEEP RETROFIT VIA ONE STOP SHOP
Deciding to go for a full retrofit, the homeowners contacted their local One Stop Shop who pumped the walls with insulation, replaced all windows and doors, and installed a new Daikin heat pump and radiators. They also introduced a new ventilation system and installed solar panels on the roof to help reduce electricity consumption.
Find out how they finally got warm here.
DAIKIN MULTI+ IDEAL FOR APARTMENTS, SMALLER HOMES
For this Dublin apartment owner, however, the solution to rising energy bills and an unreliable storage heating system was a little more straightforward.
After confirming that he was eligible for a heat pump grant from SEAI, the homeowner invested in a Daikin Multi+ air-to-air heat pump that provides heating, hot water and cooling (air-conditioning). This system is ideal for smaller homes such as apartments, small houses and modular housing units, providing year-round comfort and energy efficiency.
Find out how the Multi+ fitted here.
RELIABLE COMFORT, ENERGY SAVINGS, SUSTAINABLE LIVING: What are the benefits of installing a heat pump?
For most Irish homeowners, installing a heat pump has delivered on three fronts – comfort, convenience and cost savings. A Daikin heat pump provides steady, reliable comfort all year round while the system couldn’t be easier to operate. Meanwhile, because the heat pump is so energy-efficient, it uses less electricity to keep your home warm, resulting in lower operating costs.
“BIG REDUCTION IN ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION”
Having installed a Daikin Altherma 6kW heat pump, this homeowner saw “an immediate difference” in her home comfort levels, while lower energy bills and a jump in her home BER rating (from an E2 to a B1) were also welcome benefits.
“The house is warm and comfortable all the time now, I don’t have to worry about turning the boiler on and off or using the gas fire when it gets cold. But the big difference is the reduction in electricity consumption. My heating bill has reduced and that has taken away a lot of stress. I’m delighted I took that decision”, she said.
Discover how a heat pump made all the difference here.
For this homeowner, the decision to install a Daikin Altherma 3 M system along with solar PV and cavity wall insulation meant more consistent heat compared to their old, inefficient oil boiler as well as no longer having to buy oil – a huge saving.
Combining the heat pump and PV solar system, meanwhile, has almost made the family self-sufficient in terms of their home’s energy generation/consumption – a big step towards sustainable living.
“The level of thermostat control is now much more accurate, the Heatmiser Neo app is very user-friendly, while with the Onecta app we can monitor real-time energy usage and COP performance. It gives us great peace of mind knowing the system is working at maximum and saving us energy and money,” they told us.
Find out how they’re saving money here.
“NO MORE BUYING TANKS OF OIL!”
Discover more about the benefits of a Daikin heat pump and find out if your home is ‘heat pump ready’ by contacting your local installer or One Stop Shop today!