ASHP Retrofit City Centre Townhouse

Our customers’ existing home is a town house and is situated in the city centre of Norwich and has living accommodation across 4 floors.
They previously experienced living with solar panels in a property 15 years ago and this was the beginning of their green journey. 

They consider the renovation of their home under two phases, the renovation phase which commenced when they first purchased the property and the green project phase, which was completed in 2023/2024.

To explain more about what is important to our customers, when they moved to this property 10 years ago, they sold their car as they wanted to reduce their carbon footprint.

In addition to selling the car, they decided to remove their gas boiler, including removing the gas hob in the kitchen along with changing their petrol motor on their boats to electric motors as part of their green project.

They have discovered, the more they moved away from fossil fuels, the more they wanted to move away from them.

The customers are keen to make sure that any decarbonising technology works for them financially as well as ethically. Therefore, they spent a long-time researching different technologies, so they understood everything they are installing and how it all works and supports each other, this means they feel happy and confident in their decisions.

During their research, they contacted one of the energy suppliers when they were looking to install Solar PV panels and battery storage and were told that their property was not suitable for Solar PV. They felt this was incorrect advice as the roof which was having the panels was south facing and not facing a road, so there were no planning restrictions. 

They also tried to get a heat pump quote from the same energy supplier, but they were unable to provide one, so in the end they decided to look for a local company.

Due to their research, they knew this was unlikely to be the case and felt that these responses could have put off other people who were less committed to removing fossil fuels.

They had an existing plumber who they trusted but who wasn’t experienced in heat pump installations, but they were helpful during the learning process, they were recommended to R A Brown Heating Services through a local solar PV company who their neighbours had used and who then subsequently installed solar PV panels and battery storage in their home.

The customers were keen to visit the showroom and met with Dax our General Manager to talk through the air source heat pump system installation in their home. They found the ability to be able to visit the showroom and listen to a working air source heat pump system was invaluable, they were able to ask questions and felt reassured with R A Brown’s knowledge and experience.

The green project was instigated after the sale of an investment home, which released some capital to make the eco investments in their property. The green project involved the removal of gas from the property for heating and cooking and the installation of a NIBE F2050 6kW ASHP, Solar PV Panels and 3 Battery Storage, along with cavity wall and roof/floor insulation and updating the windows from single to triple glazing, including the Velux windows along with a few radiator upgrades.

When they purchased the property in 2015 it had an EPC rating of E after the renovation it scored C they are planning another EPC after winter and have been predicted a B rating with the further renovations which have been made.

They have found they have more space in the home by having the heat pump installed. It has freed up the airing cupboard and removed a large flue which was situated between floors so has freed up this space to expand the shower room installation.

Living with a heat pump has exceeded their expectations, they are very pleased with the cost savings which have been made on energy reducing their bills from £240 a month to £100 a month.

CO2 production of a Gas Boiler v’s an ASHP

If the customer had installed another gas boiler heating system, it would have produced 3,463.95 kg CO2/kWh a year. Over an anticipated 15-year life span of an oil boiler, it would have produced 51,959.25 kg CO2/kWh.

Heating the property with Gas there would be estimated CO2 emissions of 3,463.95 kgCO2/kWh. With an estimated running cost of £1,029 per annum.

Heating the property with an ASHP there would be estimated C02 emissions of 655.11 kgCO2/kWh with an estimated running cost of £1,180 per annum in electricity costs.

CO2 savings to be made with our recommended solution of an ASHP

The recommended solution of a NIBE 6 kW Air Source Heat Pump gives an annual saving of 2,808.84 kgCO2/kWh per annum.
Over the 15-year comparison period, this project will have saved 42,132.60 kg CO2/kWh emissions.

Find out more about air source heat pumps

“It’s a nice feeling to know that you are helping the environment, the home has a comfortable and even temperature throughout and it is very quiet. We feel proud of the changes we have made and are keen to encourage others to make these changes to their home”

Mr W-P & Mrs A-P