Heat pumps extract energy from the environment and transfer it inside the building, where it goes to the heating system. They are economical and environmentally friendly devices, which is why they are becoming increasingly popular. However, many people wonder how much electricity a heat pump consumes and what the real costs of using it are. Find out how much it will cost you to use this heating device.
The power of the pump, and therefore the power consumption, depends primarily on the area of the building, the quality of the thermal insulation, the number of residents, and the temperature inside. To find out the exact demand for heat and electricity, it is worth conducting an audit. Thanks to it, it is possible to select the right heat pump and estimate the cost of its use.
Although ordering an audit is a good solution, it is also time-consuming and expensive. Alternatively, you can calculate the electricity consumption of a heat pump yourself – without leaving home. To do this, you should use the calculators available on the Internet. After entering the relevant data, you will get an estimate of the cost of using a device such as a heat pump. Electricity consumption will allow you to determine how much you can save by choosing this type of heating.
You can do the calculations yourself, but you will need two indicators for this: COP and SCOP (they determine the efficiency and the performance of the heat pump). The first is the ratio of the amount of heat energy delivered to the amount of electricity consumed at the same moment. In modern pumps, it ranges from 3.5-5.5. In practice, this means that using 1 kWh of electricity, the pump can provide 3.5-5.5 kWh of heat. A higher COP indicates greater efficiency of the device and lower power consumption.
To calculate how much electricity a heat pump consumes, you also need to know the SCOP coefficient. It determines the average annual efficiency of the device. With it, you can determine the amount of electricity consumed compared to the heat delivered on an annual basis. To estimate this parameter, you will need the previously mentioned calculators.
To calculate energy consumption, it is also necessary to know the building’s heat demand. It depends primarily on the area of the building and the standard of insulation. The better insulated the building is the higher this parameter. Average values should be taken:
– 10-15 kWh/m2 for passive buildings,
– 50-70 kWh/m2 for energy-efficient buildings with a higher energy standard,
– 80-120 kWh/m2 for buildings of medium energy standard,
– 140-160 kWh/m2 for older insulated buildings,
– 170-200 kWh/m2 for uninsulated buildings.
You will find out the electricity consumption of a heat pump by dividing the heat demand of the building by the SCOP coefficient. Then it is necessary to multiply the result obtained by the cost of 1 kW of electricity. This way you will know the average cost of using the heat pump.
To find out the average cost of heating a 16 kW heat pump, we can assume that it is installed in a house with an energy demand of 16,000 kWh per year. If its SCOP is 4, it will consume about 4,000 kWh of electricity. If this ratio were higher and was 5, the annual consumption would drop to 3,200 kWh. So how much does it cost in real terms to use such a device? It all depends on the price of electricity. Average rates for private consumers in October 2023 settle at PLN 0.75 per 1 kWh. So you can easily calculate that a 16 kW pump with an SCOP of 4 is a cost of about PLN 3,000 per year.
It is worth remembering that it can be further optimized by using modern controllers for heating systems. They allow you to maintain the right temperature in individual rooms, which prevents overheating. You can find temperature controllers in the offer of ENGO Controls. With them, you can conveniently set the right temperature, which will translate into higher thermal comfort and lower bills.
Wondering how much energy a 10 kW heat pump consumes? If the SCOP coefficient of this device is 4, the electricity consumption stays at 2,500 kWh per year. Multiplying this result with the aforementioned average price of electricity, it is easy to determine that heating with such a heat pump will cost about PLN 1,800. These are significantly lower costs than for a coal or gas boiler.
A good quality 9 kW heat pump should have a SCOP of 4. In this case, the electricity demand will be 2,250 kWh. The cost of operating such a device is about PLN 1,700. A 9 kW heat pump will work well in energy-efficient houses of about 130-140 m2. It will provide optimal thermal comfort and avoid problems with underheating or overheating of the building.
The combination of a heat pump and underfloor heating is an excellent solution. It allows you to reduce operating costs, as well as to take advantage of the heating potential. Surface heating, or so-called underfloor heating, is worth retrofitting with special regulators and controllers from ENGO Controls. They allow you to conveniently control the temperature and make it much easier to maintain it at the optimal level in individual rooms. Thanks to this, you will optimize the use of the heat pump, and therefore also electricity consumption.
Choosing the right parameters for this device that uses renewable energy sources is crucial for its proper operation. If, in addition, you want to save on expenses related to electricity bills, think about setting up a photovoltaic installation. It will allow you to use energy obtained from solar radiation. The electricity generated in this way will power a heat pump and other appliances in your home.