How do heat pumps work?
A heat pump uses electricity to provide both heating and cooling to a building. These appliances are efficient at transferring heat from one place to another, depending on where it’s needed. In the winter, a heat pump provides heating by extracting heat from outside a building and moving it inside. In the summer, it can provide cooling by moving heat from indoors to the outside. Find out about the different types of heat pumps, how they work and why they could help to tackle climate change.
Save money in the long run
Heat pump hot water systems are highly efficient and will save you money in the long run. However, they are a significant investment. Installation costs can vary, depending on the complexity (whether you’re replacing an existing system with an upgrade or changing energy type and location of the system).
Because they use electricity to move hot or cold air from one place to another rather than to generate it, heat pumps can deliver up to 10-15 times as much energy as they use. In fact, premium heat pumps can heat a room at 600% efficiency, while gas heaters are around 50% to 95%.
Because they use less energy to run, they’re also better for your wallet. Although they may be more expensive to install, they can provide significant savings in the long run. According to a 2015 Melbourne Energy Institute report, households in Canberra could save $1,733 per year and those in Melbourne $658 per year in heating costs just by switching off their gas and using reverse-cycle air conditioners.