ᐅ Air Source Heat Pump and Electricity Consumption

sirhc schrieb:

I heard from an acquaintance that his air source heat pump uses about 5000 kWh per year. I’m still learning the basics, but I was a bit shocked. !

That’s possible, depends on the house.

sirhc schrieb:

Also, it’s said that the pump has a separate electricity meter and receives discounted/subsidized electricity.

Maybe, but not necessarily. A second meter can be installed for special heat pump electricity. We decided against it and use lower-cost electricity for heating plus general electricity.

sirhc schrieb:

Is the consumption really that high?

A comparison: a new KFW-50 standard house of our neighbors. Air source heat pump, 166 m² (1,787 sq ft) living area. Consumption in 2014: 1,088 kWh (plus 505 kWh for hot water).

sirhc schrieb:
I would like to follow up here with my question.

I heard from an acquaintance that his air source heat pump consumes about 5000 kWh (kilowatt-hours) annually. I’m still a bit new to the basics, but I was somewhat shocked. Also, it seems that the pump has a separate electricity meter and receives discounted or subsidized electricity.

I assume the 5000 kWh refers to regular operation without the electric heating element kicking in.

Can anyone share their experience or point me to some basic reference materials?
Is the consumption really that high? Is the electricity actually subsidized? If so, to what extent, etc.?

Thanks a lot!

Hello, we are 2 households and 5 people (approx. 240 m² (2583 ft²) living area). Based on estimates, we expect to use about 3800 kWh (kilowatt-hours) annually for running the air source heat pump (converting outdoor air for heating and meeting hot water demand during cold periods / we have solar thermal panels on the roof).

Your local electricity provider should have peak/off-peak rates (high tariff/low tariff prices) listed on their website. This is the case for us at least. From what I can tell, we get about 6-8 cents per kWh (kilowatt-hour) discount on regular electricity prices.

Yes, you will have 3 meters: house electricity + peak/off-peak meter for the heat pump.

nordanney schrieb:
It might be the case, depends on the house.

It can be, but doesn’t have to be. A second electricity meter is used for special heat pump electricity. We chose not to have one and use cheaper electricity for heating plus general electricity.

Comparison value from a new KfW-50 house of our neighbors. Air-source heat pump, 166 m² (1790 sq ft) living area. Consumption 2014: 1,088 kWh (plus 505 kWh for hot water)

Hello nordanney,

how did you determine the portion for hot water?

Thank you for the comparative figures. They already show me that values vary widely, depending on many factors.

The concept of air source heat pumps is really interesting; I definitely need some basic literature on the subject. I will start looking for some.

What you need to include in your overlays are the costs of the technical systems... To be fair, we had no alternative (due to meeting the KfW standard or because the developer only sold that way).

@HilfeHilfe
Depending on the type, you should be able to read at least the compressor run times for heating and hot water on the heat pump. Then you can calculate the consumption proportionally... or even see the actual energy used – and the amount of heat produced...

@sirhc
You can only compare like with like. For example: the same house in the Lower Rhine region or in Franconia – and you already have higher consumption, even though neither the heat pump nor the house is worse. The number of residents (which affects hot water use) and the desired room temperatures also prevent a direct comparison.