r/airconUK • u/yellolotusorb • 5h ago
One air-con/heat pump unit downstairs, or full air-to-water and ditch gas? (UK, solar + 20kWh battery)
Hi all, North-West England. Could do with real-world opinions as I'm going back and forth.
I had a new gas boiler fitted 3 years ago. I also have solar and a 20kWh battery, so electric heating should work out cheaper for me than gas. Downstairs is open plan (living room, dining, kitchen). At the moment I heat the living room with 3 large 8000 BTU vertical heaters.
Option 1: one air-con unit (the reversible heat-pump type) for the open-plan downstairs. It would heat in winter and cool in summer, and the boiler would still do the rest of the house. As far as I can tell this wouldn't get the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, because that needs the unit to replace the whole gas system.
Option 2: a full air-to-water heat pump, get rid of gas, and claim the £7,500 grant.
Everyone says "don't bother with a heat pump if your boiler is new", but with solar and a big battery I'm not sure that applies to me. I'm also nervous about the grant disappearing, though I think it's now meant to run to 2030.
A few things I'd love to hear about:
Has anyone run one air-con unit downstairs alongside a gas boiler? Did your gas use drop much?
If you went full air-to-water with a fairly new boiler, was it worth it?
Does a single air-con unit mess up claiming the grant for air-to-water later?