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Compare fuels, heating systems and pay back times

The Homeheater, when compared to other heaters like Oil or LPG, comes out way ahead in terms of sustainability, carbon emissions and Return on investment. It is easily connected to existing central heating or hot water systems, and the installation cost is minimal. It requires no electricity to run and should last a lifetime.

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Below are some of the figures taken from external sources, like Which? magazine.

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We have provided figures here from the  Energy Saving Trust or the UK government to help you compare the difference in heating solutions. The charts and links below can also be used to calculate your home’s requirements, the insulation value (U-values), and hot water needs. Good insulation and draft exclusion is key to your overall plan, the Homeheater can use the single wrap around heat exchanger to warm low temperature radiators or under floor heating in a well insulated home or use two heat exchangers with a 70/60 supply/return temperature for bolting on to an existing system.


Whichever way you look at it the results are clear- a wood burning Homeheater will pay for itself rapidly, is very economical to run and is ecologically sustainable.


A chart comparing performance with similar output woodburners is provided below.

Fuel prices compared : June 2013

Cost of alternative energy:

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Using the table

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Savings are based on a three-bed semi-detached house and are based on data from the Energy Saving Trust. Installation costs: Indicative cost of equipment and installation. Annual savings: Estimated for homes currently heated by gas or electricity. Savings for heat pumps are based on field trials and are given as a range depending on the performance of the heat pump.

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Annual fuel cost for oil-fired heating and hot water (not including installation) : £1,355 Carbon emissions per year 4-5 tonnes.

These are estimated annual costs based on heating and hot water demands of a three-bedroomed home, they are not derived from actual fuel bills.

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Source: Which? Magazine.

Homeheater stats provided by CMSC.

Chart comparing exiting flue gas temperatures:

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The above chart proves that the Homeheater conserves around twice the heat inside your home. It is not wasted out into the atmosphere.

Comparing the pay back time:

Do the numbers add up, is it a good investment?

If you buy coal, oil or electricity or gas the supplier does not offer you any payback at all. No matter how much you buy or how long for, you never get your money back.

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Various bodies define payback as the annual fuel bill savings divided by the capital cost. This is misleading. You should factor in energy price increases, inflation, servicing, and losses that a thermal system suffers. Most thermal systems offer a pay back of between 6 and 15 years, depending on the fossil fuel displaced, the future fuel inflation factor and the amount of hot water you use.

Heat pump systems:

Source: www.local.gov.uk/web/guest/climate-change

 

Fuel bill savings:

 

On estimate, a typical heat pump system could save you £160 to £840 a year. This will depend on what type of fuel is replaced.

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A heat pump with mid-range efficiency can be expected to use only a third of the energy of an average existing gas boiler to produce the same amount of heat. Thus there is significant scope for considerable savings in the cost of fuel when replacing conventional heating systems.

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Maintenance costs

The inverter will probably require replacement over a heat pump life span (20-25 years). This costs £1,000 to £2,000 in a domestic system.

The payback period for heat pump systems depends on the:

  • type of heat pump installed

  • age and type of building and its insulation that it is installed into (U-values)

  • the type of heating it is replacing or displacing.
     

Installing systems into existing buildings is more expensive than incorporating them into new designs.

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These following table shows payback period estimates based on published data and field studies, assuming current electricity prices and a mid-range system efficiency. Payback periods are likely to decrease if energy prices rise and the renewable heat incentive (RHI) becomes practicable for homeowners.

Ground source heat pump

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Air source heat pump

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