Why Heat Pumps are your best home heating option

When it comes to choosing how to heat your home, there are a range of different things to consider including initial cost, running costs, emissions, safety and how effective the heating source is at warming up your home. While some forms of heating may be cheap to purchase, they may be costing you more in power bills and efficiency in the long run.

We have created a list of the most common heating sources and looked at the pros and cons of each so that you can make an educated decision on the best forms of heating for your home.

Heat Pumps

Pros

• Low running cost - Heat Pumps can create 3-5kW of heat, for every 1kW of power used allowing you to effectively heat up your space with less electricity.

• Have in built timers - Heat Pumps give you the ability to set daily and weekly timers giving you the ability to wake up and come home to a warm house after work.

• Wi-Fi Control – The majority of Heat Pump models now have the ability to add optional Wi-Fi control, allowing you to control your Heat Pump from your smartphone wherever, whenever.

• Provides cooling - Heat Pumps also double as an air conditioner providing all year round comfort, allowing you to cool your home in the summer.

• Safe - Heat Pumps are much safer than other forms of heating as there are no open flames, hot surface, or negative emissions into your home. This also allows you to leave your Heat Pump on safely while you are out of the house and overnight.

Cons

•  Higher upfront cost - Heat Pumps do have a higher upfront cost than some other forms of heating. However, there are subsidies, grants, and interest free options available.

•  Must be installed by a registered electrician - Heat Pumps need to be wired and fitted into your home by a registered electrician. If not fitted by a professional, there is a risk of incorrect installation which could lead to electrical faults.

Gas Heaters

Pros

• Low running cost – Gas Heaters are relatively cheap to run with a lower price per unit then electricity allowing you to heat up your space at a lower cost

• Heats up your space quickly - Gas heaters are very effective at heating up a space quickly and can rapidly increase the temperature of your home.

Cons

•  High upfront cost - In-built Gas Heaters are relatively expensive to install and need to be installed by a qualified professional.

• Can generate negative emissions - Gas Heaters have a risk of leaking carbon monoxide into your home especially if they are an older open- flue heater.

•  Shorter life span – Gas Heaters tend to only last 10-20 years compared to Electric Heating sources which can last upwards of 30 – 40 years

•  Safety Risk - Gas Heaters are hot to touch, can have open flame and should also not be left running unattended or overnight.

Oil Column Heaters

Pros

• Low up front cost - Oil Column heaters can be purchased cheaply from a range of stores around New Zealand.

•  Portable – Oil Column Heaters are small so can be moved around the house allowing you to only heat the rooms you choose.

• Quiet – Oil Column heaters are extremely quiet as they don’t require a fan to produce heat.

Cons

• Slow to warm - Column Heaters must heat the oil inside their columns before they are able to radiate heat into the room, because of this they take much longer than other heating forms to make an impact on the room temperature.

• Inefficient - Oil Column Heaters need to work very hard and use a lot more electricity to heat a large room then most other forms of heating, making them inefficient compared to other options.

•  Safety Risk - Oil Column Heaters, especially old ones can be a fire risk if they fall over or if anything flammable is placed on top of them.

Wood Fire

Pro

• High Heat Efficiency - Wood Fires are designed to extract as much heat as possible out of the wood and transfer that heat into your home making them a very efficient way of heating.

• No electricity required - Wood fires do not require any electricity so in the event of a power cut you can still stay warm

Cons

• Expensive to install - Wood Fires can be expensive to install as you must purchase the fire itself as well as a have an up-to-standard hearth and chimney installed. It must be certified before you are able to use it.

• Need access to wood - Wood Fires require wood that is ‘seasoned’ which means it has been cut and dried for at least 6 months before use. Purchasing seasoned wood can be expensive and requires adequate wood storage throughout winter.

• Creates smoke and emissions - Wood Fires release smoke and emissions into the atmosphere which has a negative impact on the environment. Some councils have banned new wood burners being installed to prevent air pollution and smog.

When choosing the right heating option for your home there are a range of factors to consider. EnergySmart believe Heat pumps are the best form of heating for your home and can supply and install a range of trusted, quality brands. Heat Pumps are the most energy efficient form of heating and have a huge range of additional features.

You can learn more about Heat Pumps on our website https://www.energysmart.co.nz/heat-pumps. Or book an in-home assessment with one of our team to get a quote on a Heat Pump for your home.