How to switch to a ground source heat pump

Switching to a ground source heat pump is simple.

Ground source heat pumps can be easily integrated with your preferred controls and heating distribution system. No planning permission is required, and the unit is easily installed inside your home to provide 100% of your heating and hot water needs. Unlike fossil fuel heating systems, a Kensa ground source heat pump doesn’t need servicing and requires minimal maintenance over its 20-year design life.

If you are looking to replace an old oil boiler, switch from direct electric heating, or seek energy independence by moving away from gas, ground source heat pumps are suitable for all property types. They are a long-term, cost-effective, energy-efficient alternative. Benefit from a quiet, unobtrusive heating solution compared to an oil tank or air source heat pump.

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Why should you upgrade your heating system to a Ground Source Heat Pump?

Futureproof your home

Ground source heat pumps are a smart investment; they add value and protect against fluctuating energy prices.

The UK government has announced ambitious targets to cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2035. By using a ground source heat pump for domestic heating, you’re future-proofing your property and taking a vital step towards reducing carbon emissions.

Ground source heat pumps are the most energy-efficient heating technology available, so only a small proportion of the power needed to run the heat pump will be affected by rising energy costs – the rest of the energy comes from the ground.

Save more with smart controls

You can save even more on your heating bills with a ground source heat pump using time-of-use tariffs, smart controls and thermal storage.

Dynamic tariffs charge consumers different prices for electricity at different times of the day. Smart controls learn your heating preferences and your property’s heat physics, turning your heat pump on when you need it at cheaper times to provide helpful running cost savings.

Your ground source heat pump will maintain a consistent, comfortable temperature throughout the day,  providing 100% of heating and hot water demands. It can operate when lower-cost electricity is available and there is extra capacity in the grid. Thermal batteries can store the heat generated during off-peak hours when electricity is cheaper.

Running costs

Ground source heat pumps last twice as long as a gas boiler and are more efficient than air source heat pumps, meaning you benefit from lower running costs and higher carbon savings in the long run.

Air temperatures fluctuate, dropping overnight and during the winter. Air source heat pumps consume more electricity at these times to ensure they provide sufficient heat. Even on the coldest day in winter, ground temperatures stay constant all year round, so there is always 10-12 degrees of heat running through a ground source heat pump system.

When you switch on your gas boiler, you start from zero, paying for 100% of the gas used. A ground source heat pump delivers 3 to 4 kilowatts (kW) of heat for every 1 kW of electricity it consumes. The extra 3kW heat comes from the heat absorbed from the ground.

Gas boilers are around 90% efficient – GSHPs are 300-400% efficient. A system that delivers much more electrical energy than it consumes will deliver lower running costs for your household and, with a stable heat source, will not experience efficiency losses when you need your heating the most.

Why choose Kensa for a ground source heat pump?

Kensa are expert in ground source heat pumps, having pioneered the technology since 1999.

We are solely committed to ground source technology, so there’s more focus on creating the best, simplest and most efficient heating and hot water solutions for your home.

Kensa manufactures some of the best heat pumps for homes on the market from our state-of-the-art facility, with every system designed and built in the UK specifically for British properties.

Kensa’s technical support: five stars all round.

What are the benefits of upgrading to a ground source heat pump?

There are many benefits to ground source heat pumps including:

• The most efficient renewable heating technology
• Zero carbon emissions or pollutants
• Quiet, unobtrusive and no planning required
• Fit and forget technology lasting 100 years
• Heating, hot water and cooling
• Safeguarded against fluctuating running cost prices
• Sophisticated system that fits comfortably inside the home
• Energy independence, with no reliance on fuel deliveries

Clean, efficient and reliable heating

Ground source heat pumps are not noisy, and because of this, they do not require planning permission. Our Kensa Evo heat pump is one of the quietest on the market – equating to the sound of a dishwasher.

Ground source heat pump units are quiet and compact enough to be installed inside the home and can last between 20-25 years. Kensa has also designed the smallest and most compact ground source heat pump on the market – the Shoebox heat pump – which is perfect for flats or smaller properties and easily fitted inside airing cupboards or kitchen cabinets. The heat collectors that extract renewable energy for the system are visually unobtrusive and virtually invisible when the ground is made good. They can last for up to 100 years, representing an investment in renewable heating infrastructure.

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How to get a ground source heat pump

1. Firstly, use Kensa’s ground source heat pump cost calculator to see if a ground source heat pump, with its benefits of low emissions and savings, suits you and your property.
2. If you like what you see, submit a quote. We can then consider your property’s heat demand, look at typical schematics, your home’s efficiency, and the space and conditions around your home for groundwork.
3. Decide if you want to install the heat pump yourself or have an installer do it for you. Kensa can recommend an approved heat pump installer, or you can find one installer on the MCS database. If your preferred installer is not yet MCS approved, (a vital step in getting the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant) they can utilise Kensa’s Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) Umbrella service for a small fee.
4. Both you and your installer can contact Kensa’s technical support team for any advice about your ground source heat pump before, during and after your installation.
5. Leave fossil fuels behind as the ground source heat collectors are fitted, and the heat pump is installed inside your home.

Are ground source heat pumps easy to install inside the home?

Ground source heat pumps are easy to install in your home. Installing a Kensa ground source heat pump is similar to installing a standard boiler. Our heat pump systems are specifically designed to be installed in British properties without needing specialist training. Any competent builder or plumber is capable of installing one.

How much does it cost to switch to a ground source heat pump?

With a government grant of £7,500 from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and 0% VAT, installing a ground source heat pump costs less than you might think.

Heat pump unit costs

Ground source heat pump prices start at £4,450 for the Kensa Shoebox, which is ideal for flats, apartments and 1-2 bed properties.

The Kensa Evo starts at £7,365 and is ideal for medium to large 3-4 bedroom homes.

Example cost of a domestic heat pump in a home

This example is based on a single property connected to a 13kW Kensa Evo ground source heat pump with a slinky ground array:

• Pay £16,000 for the supply and installation of the equipment and infrastructure.
• Receive £7,500 through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.
• Save £6,000 in running costs over 7 years compared to an equivalent LPG boiler.

How much does a ground source heat pump installation cost?

Ground source heat pump costs depend on three main factors: the cost of the heat pump unit, the installation cost, and how much the heat pump costs to run.

The type of heat collector affects installation costs

Heat from the ground, or a water source, can be extracted using one of the following heat collectors: boreholes, slinky pipes and pond mats – all vary in size, price and efficiency.

The heat collector you have installed will depend on your home’s location. For example, slinky pipes are perfect if you have land, you can use pond mats if your home is within 100m of a water source, or you might need boreholes to save on space.

Slinky trenches are usually the cheapest and easiest to install. They don’t need a specialist drilling contractor, as a digger can undertake the installation work. However, slinky pipes must have sufficient land area to collect and deliver the energy requirements of the building.

In some cases, calculations may show that your available garden area isn’t quite big enough for the amount of heat collectors needed to meet your home’s heat demand. Heat collectors are sized to meet the heat needs of the building, not the heat pump.

An energy-efficient solution is to improve the building’s insulation to reduce the heat load; that way the available garden area may well become viable as the heat source. It may even be possible to specify a smaller heat pump, further offsetting the installation costs.

Will I have to upgrade my power supply?

No, most people installing a ground source heat pump will not be faced with a bill for expensive upgrades to their electricity supply.

The majority of properties in the UK run off a single-phase connection, which is fine for ground source heat pumps with an output of around 13kW and below. A heat pump of this size would provide ample heat and hot water in an older home with three or four bedrooms.

In cases where larger heat output is needed and a three-phase connection is required, the power companies will usually upgrade this for free on behalf of a homeowner.

Ready for the next step?

Let our experts provide a more accurate price for your project.