Heat pump system bills 'higher than mortgage' frighten Irish homeowners off switch

Sky-high electricity bills for sustainable heat pump systems remain a considerable barrier for Irish homeowners switching their heating systems, with one Offaly resident saying his heating bills were "higher than my mortgage" during some winter months. 

Running costs are one of the concerns highlighted in a recent report on the environmentally sustainable heating systems. 

One Offaly homeowner told us: "I have an air to water system that we had installed in our A-rated house in 2018. In theory the system sounds great but in practice when you sign up for these modern heating systems you are handing over control of your heating costs.

"Since the installation of the system electricity prices have skyrocketed. This is something out of my control and has resulted in heating bills being higher than my mortgage during more than one winter month. The alternative is to turn the system down and have a cold house but you still need it to heat water when needed. 

"We as a household have had to deal with huge costs due to a heating system which is being promoted as efficient and cost effective, largely because of the rises in electricity costs. It is very cheap in the summer months but if the electricity prices continue as they are, all the summer savings are outweighed by the winter costs," the resident said. 

One new homeowner said: "Our first few bills were very reasonable. Then the Government's energy credit came in and the bill seemed to rise by almost exactly as much as the energy credit was worth. 

Air-to-water heat pump systems installed in some retrofitted Laois council housing are so high that is like a 'double rent' for tenants, a Laois councillor told a recent council meeting. 

Cllr John King said ‘super’ work has been done on houses in Rathdowney to bring them up to date. However, he cautioned about one costly retrofit retrofitting result for tenants due to the air-to-water heat pump systems installed.

“They are now paying a double rent because they are not used to paying for the heating. They have no control over the cost of it because it has to be on constantly...The running cost is quite expensive it is nearly equal to the rent,” he said.

Many Irish homeowners may be willing to switch to electric heat pumps, but only when their current heating system needs to be replaced, according to latest research. 

A new report from the Sustainable Energy Association of Ireland (SEAI) also found the concerns over costs are also an issue. 

Current Government grants are helpful, the report says, but additional supports and promotion would further boost uptake.

Many homeowners remain unaware of grants in the first place, while others are put off by complex grant paperwork and worry over possible unanticipated ancillary costs. The research also showed that both financial and environmental motivations matter for adoption of heat pumps.

Ireland has one of the lowest uptake on heat pump systems, in comparison to Norway, which has the highest level in Europe.