Heat Pumps are the Cheapest Heating Option
Kia ora, my name is Georgie and I'm the CEO here at Sustainability Trust. As energy prices continue to rise and cost of living pressures hit, it’s understandable that many people worry about the cost of heating their home. We’ve heard from plenty of people who are trying to save money by putting on another jersey, snuggling under a heated blanket or cuddling a hot water bottle instead of switching on their heat pump.
Those are all sensible, low-cost ways to keep yourself warm. But they don’t warm your home.
The World Health Organization recommends keeping indoor living areas to at least 18°C during colder months to protect health, with 20°C recommended for older people, young children and those with chronic illnesses. Research also shows that when indoor temperatures fall below 16°C, the risk of respiratory illnesses increases. Cold homes are also more likely to become damp, creating ideal conditions for mould, which can make asthma and other respiratory conditions worse.
If your home already has a heat pump, it is almost certainly the most affordable way to heat your living space.
Why are heat pumps so efficient?
Many people compare a heat pump with a standard electric heater and assume they’ll cost about the same to run. They don’t.
A typical electric heater might use around 2.4 kW of electricity every hour it runs. At an electricity price of 30 cents per kWh, that’s about 72 cents an hour.
A medium-sized heat pump, on the other hand, usually uses only 1–1.5 kW of electricity once it’s warming your room. At the same electricity price, that’s around 30–45 cents an hour.
If you use your heat pump efficiently—setting it to a steady temperature of around 18–20°C rather than constantly turning it on and off, and cleaning the filters regularly—you can keep your home at a healthy temperature while keeping running costs as low as possible. It's a simple way to look after both your power bill and the health of your whānau.
So how can it produce more heat while using less electricity?
Unlike an electric heater, which creates heat from electricity, a heat pump simply moves heat from outside to inside your home. Even on a cold Wellington day, there’s still plenty of heat energy in the outside air. A heat pump captures that heat and brings it indoors.
In fact, for every unit of electricity a modern heat pump uses, it typically delivers three to five units of heat into your home. That’s why a heat pump can provide the same warmth as two or even three electric heaters while using less electricity.
If you’re lucky enough to have a heat pump, don’t be afraid to use it. Set it to a comfortable temperature (around 18–20°C) and let it do what it was designed to do—keep your home warm, dry and healthy.
By all means, keep using your favourite jersey, a hot water bottle or an electric blanket. They’re great ways to keep you warm and can help reduce how hard your heat pump needs to work. But remember, they’re not a substitute for heating your home.
Need a heat pump?
If your home doesn’t have a heat pump yet, we’d love to help. Sustainability Trust can assess your home, recommend the right-sized system, and provide a no-obligation quote. We supply and install high-quality heat pumps, including ducted central heating systems that can warm your whole home using highly efficient heat pump technology.
A warm, dry home is one of the best investments you can make in your health and wellbeing. Click here for more info on heat pumps and to talk to our team.