The technology extracts heat energy from air, ground or water and converts it into usable heat with significantly less electricity input than the heat it produces.
Whether the investment makes sense depends primarily on the building's insulation. In a well insulated, low heat loss building a heat pump is highly efficient. In a poorly insulated building it is forced to higher output, which worsens payback, so insulation and heating modernisation should be treated as one project.
Technical prerequisites include a suitable location for the outdoor units and often partial conversion of the existing heating system, as heat pumps work efficiently at a lower flow temperature. This detail is often missing from initial planning.
On financing, besides the panel renovation subprogramme it is worth examining bank green loan schemes: combining them is often the most cost-effective route.
Realistic expectations matter: a heat pump upgrade typically has a payback period of 8-15 years, its main benefit being predictable long-term operating costs.
Bear in mind that running a heat pump consumes electricity, so payback is tied to electricity prices too: combining it with a shared solar system significantly reduces this dependence.
Merbo's energy experts always survey the building's thermal condition before recommending a heat pump upgrade.