How to Prevent Water Leaks (7 Simple Home Maintenance Tips)
Leak Detection
Protect your home from water leaks with 7 simple maintenance tips. Insulate pipes, inspect your roof, and install leak detectors to save money on repairs.
With the UK’s weather swinging between chilly winters and hot summers, finding a proper heating and cooling system can be a challenge. Both heat pumps and air conditioning units cool, but heat pumps do more. They also provide heating and hot water, which makes them a versatile choice for any season.
For most UK homes, a heat pump is often the best choice for efficient and reliable heating and cooling all year. This is especially true with government incentives, such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which we’ll touch on below. Air conditioning units, on the other hand, are ideal for smaller spaces or homes primarily needing summer cooling.
Whether you’re renovating, upgrading, or installing, knowing the differences can help you make the best decision for your home.
A heat pump is a climate control system designed to control the climate in your home. It provides heating, cooling, and often hot water by transferring heat between the outside air or ground and your home. Even in cold UK winters, modern air-source heat pumps can efficiently extract heat from the outside air and bring it indoors. Ground source heat pumps tap into the stable temperature of the earth to provide an even more consistent heat source. However, they require suitable outdoor space.
In contrast, air conditioning units are designed to cool the air inside your home. They work by extracting heat and expelling it into the outside environment. Some reverse-cycle air conditioning units can offer light heating. However, they are generally less efficient for warming an entire home during colder months.
Modern heat pumps can also cool your property during the summer months, making them a proper all-season solution. This flexibility makes heat pumps highly appealing to UK homeowners who seek energy savings and long-term comfort.
To clarify, a heat pump is designed to provide both heating and cooling, whereas air conditioning units primarily focus on cooling.
Heat pumps are renowned for their energy efficiency and are particularly well-suited to the UK’s mild climate. Heat pumps differ from traditional heating systems. Rather than generating heat by burning fuel or using electricity, they move heat from outside into your home. This method can deliver around three to four units of heat for every unit of electricity used, resulting in efficiency levels of up to 300-400%.
The Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCOP) measures the efficiency of a heat pump. According to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, many modern models achieve SCOP ratings over 3.5. This means they work effectively even during colder months, providing steady warmth and lower energy bills.
Greenstar recommends air-source heat pumps for most UK properties. However, ground-source heat pumps are an excellent choice for homes with sufficient outdoor space. Both benefit from the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which offers grants of up to £7,500 to help offset installation costs. Using a heat pump can lower your running costs and shrink your carbon footprint. They also enable the UK to further its efforts in combating greenhouse gas emissions.
Choosing between a heat pump and an air conditioning system means weighing the benefits and limitations of each. Each system has its strengths, so we’ve summarised the pros and cons to help you decide what best suits your space, budget, and comfort needs.
Heat pumps often save more on running costs than air conditioning units. This is especially true when they are used for both heating and cooling.
According to Ofgem, many heat pumps deliver usable heating at around 9p per kWh. Thanks to their high efficiency, that’s less expensive than electric heaters and competitive with gas, which typically costs 7–8p per kWh. Heat pumps use around 9p per kilowatt-hour and utilise their ability to extract renewable heat from the environment. This efficiency lowers your energy bills, especially in the colder months when heating needs rise. It’s also worth noting that the Ofgem price cap and UK electricity rates will influence these calculations.
Air conditioning units, while efficient at cooling, can be significantly more expensive to run when used for heating. Their electricity consumption can vary widely, with some units costing between 24p and £1.23 per hour. However, figures like this always depend on size and usage frequency.
As touched on above, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme further enhances the affordability of heat pumps by providing grants of up to £7,500. This is making them an increasingly attractive option for UK homeowners seeking long-term value.
The best choice between a heat pump and air conditioning depends mainly on your home type, space, and comfort needs.
At Greenstar, we understand that every home is different. Our local team has assisted hundreds of homeowners in Dorset, Hampshire, and Wiltshire. We help them find the right climate control solution for their homes and budgets. Are you unsure which system is right for your home? Explore our air conditioning installation page. Alternatively, you can speak directly to a certified Greenstar engineer for a free survey.
Call 01202 355 344 or get in touch for honest recommendations from our team today.
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