Heat pumps – All day vs intermittent use
Filed under Efficient Use of heating appliances, Space Heating.
May 30th, 2010
Hello,
I am wondering if anyone has some info on whether a heat pump is more efficient to use all day or for around 5 hours. We currently get home from work and turn it on, turning it off just before bed. We are VERY skint on funds so a little afraid to try leaving it on without knowing a little about it.
Thank you in advance,
James
2 Comments
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Sarah Free, Energy Advisor, July 6th, 2010 on 3:55 am
Hi James,
Just another point too… you can keep an eye on your energy usage by looking at the reading on your meter. If the reading increases by 1 , this means you have use 1 kilowatthour of energy, or about 20 cents worth. You might use anywhere between 5-10 units a day… or maybe more on some days. But the point is that if you read your own meter now and then, you can start to understand what appliances are causing your energy usage to increase, and by how much.
Cheers, Sarah
Sarah Free, Energy Advisor, June 3rd, 2010 on 3:00 am
Hi James,
Unless there are special circumstances (young children, elderly folk or people with health issues) or your house is in a particularly cold environment, you are doing exactly what we recommend most people do. Use your heat pump as you would any other heater; turn it off if you are leaving the house for more than 30 minutes and turn it off overnight.
If your house is very cold, yuou might want to check whether your insulation is up to scratch. Curtaining can make a difference too- if you are short of funds you can make detachable thermal linings (plain cream or white thermal backed fabric which costs only a few dollars a metre), and use them as curtains until you can afford to add the more expensive fronts. Alternatively Trade Me can be a good for second hand curtains.
Regards, Sarah Free, energy advisor