ᐅ Electricity Consumption of Air-to-Water Heat Pumps

Hello.

My electricity consumption for my heat pump seems quite high. I have already contacted various professionals: architect, heating engineer, energy consultant, structural engineer, but I can’t shake the feeling that none of them really know what’s going on.

I can give you some key data; I know it’s difficult to make a general statement. But there should be at least an approximate benchmark.

First, about the electricity consumption itself. Last year it was 10,000 kWh (10,000 kWh) for heating and hot water. In the years before, it was between 7,000 and 9,000 kWh (7,000 and 9,000 kWh).

- Our house has heated living space of 180 m² (1,940 sq ft).
- We live at 900 meters (2,953 ft) above sea level, which is quite a cold location, although last winter wasn’t as cold as previous years.
- We have an air-to-water heat pump from Weißhaupt rated at 9 kW.
- The whole house has underfloor heating.
- In the bathroom, there are two additional infrared heaters because the underfloor area was not sufficient. They run for about 1 hour per day in winter—30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening.
- Household of 6 people.

The energy certificate states:

Final energy demand 33 kWh/m²a (10.5 Btu/ft²·year)
Primary energy demand 70 kWh/m²a (22.5 Btu/ft²·year)

The certificate is based on a building usage area of 222 m² (2,390 sq ft).

I’m not sure what other information might be needed. Just ask if anything is missing. The electricity consumption just seems very high to me.

That is 200 euros per month for electricity just for heating. Phew. That doesn’t add up. Check if the heating element is active; you can see this on the device. I almost suspect that this is the reason.

You should need about half that amount.

Hi. To be precise, our advance payment has now been raised from €218 to €228. Every year I bring up this issue and have repeatedly been told that it is normal. Most recently by the local energy consultant.
No, heating rods are not active.

What temperatures do you have inside the house during winter?
How is the heating curve set?

We have set the temperature to 21 to 22 degrees Celsius (70 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit).

I don’t know the heating curve. No idea how it is set or how to read it.

So, we have 2 residential units totaling 220 sq m (2,368 sq ft) and consume about 5,500–6,000 kWh, even during harsh winters. We also have solar thermal collectors for hot water upstairs.

In our apartment, basically only 40 sq m (430 sq ft)—the living room and bathrooms—are heated. The rest remains cool because it’s used for sleeping.