ᐅ Gas or Heat Pump? Experiences and Feedback

One can certainly view this critically, but the trend seems realistic to me.
As Rotor might also say:
Air-to-water heat pump for 33,000€? It usually costs much less.
Coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.8? Very unrealistically low.
So the author apparently does not favor air-to-water heat pumps...

I agree with Ares83; gas is actually priced quite cheaply here compared to other places. In some cases, radiators and gas connections are very affordable (almost twice as expensive where we are), hot water storage tanks with fresh water systems at the pumps, the photovoltaic system is actually undersized and too expensive, heat output is too low, and so on.

However, the electricity prices are being compared inconsistently, mixing apples, oranges, and tomatoes.

Costs vary individually and can only be calculated by each person. Is self-performance possible? What is being offered to me, and so on.

For us, with minimal self-performance, the air-to-water heat pump was already cheaper than a gas heating system. No gas connection, no chimney. A heat pump is not a miracle solution and can be done for under 10,000€ (about $11,000), while an air-to-water heat pump can be significantly cheaper.

Operating costs for gas would be about twice as high as they are now with the heat pump:
- Heat pump: 360€ (about $400) per year for electricity, no maintenance or other costs. Photovoltaics can reduce these costs even further.
- Gas would be roughly: 460€ (about $510) for gas + basic gas fee + chimney sweep + maintenance.

If I had to buy the heat pump from a heating contractor for 20,000€ (about $22,000), the calculation would look different.

I also think that a heat pump may not last quite as long as a gas boiler, but that is just my unsubstantiated opinion. Even if our heat pump failed every few years, it wouldn’t change the calculation for us.

Gas has the advantage that it’s less dependent on detailed planning, and as a builder you don’t have to spend much time on heating system planning.

If you plan carefully and are not at the mercy of an expensive heating contractor or general contractor, I believe that heat pumps combined with photovoltaics are currently the most sensible heating solution in new builds—both economically and ecologically.

One more question: Are you planning to include a fireplace?

From a comfort perspective, if you already have a fireplace, it’s great for quickly warming up the space during transitional seasons.

If not, I would prefer gas, since you can also install a radiator in the bathroom or somewhere else to keep it warm.

With only an air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating, it can feel a bit uncomfortable depending on personal preference. Personally, I wouldn’t want to heat the bathroom electrically in winter when the solar panels are producing the least.

Snowy36 schrieb:

One more question: Are you planning to include a fireplace?

Just from a comfort perspective: if there's already a fireplace and you can quickly warm up the space during transitional seasons, that’s great.

If not, I would prefer gas, since you can add a radiator, for example in the bathroom, to keep it warm...

Using only an air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating can be a bit uncomfortable depending on personal preference. Also, I wouldn’t want to heat the bathroom with electricity in winter when the solar panels are producing the least...

I have planned a chimney shaft for the living area, so just the preparation—I wanted to keep it flexible.

Chimney, almost all new buildings around here have a chimney and a stove or fireplace. None of them ever smoke. No one keeps firewood in stock, and why would they? These energy-efficient homes are already so warm that nobody would use a stove for heating on top of that.