Ground Source

Heat your home with pipes buried in the garden

Ground source heat pumps use pipes buried in the garden, or a borehole, to extract heat from the ground. This is usually used to warm water for radiators or underfloor heating systems.Beneath the surface, the ground stays at a constant temperature, so a ground source heat pump is efficient throughout the year - even in the middle of winter.

The benefits of ground source heat pumps

• Eliminate your fossil fuel bills: ground source heat pumps run on a small amount of electricity, so there’s no need to pay for increasingly expensive gas, oil or solid fuels to heat your home
• Reduce your CO2 emissions: Ground source heat pumps have significantly lower CO2 emissions than traditional fossil fuel heating systems due to their high efficiencies: up to a 43% saving in CO2 over gas and a 57% saving over oil.
• Cut down on wasted electricity: heating your home with a ground source heat pump is much more efficient than using electric radiators.
• Highly efficient. a typical ground source heat pump has a COP of up to 4.6 (up to 460% efficient). So for every kw of energy you put in, it will generate up to 4.6 kw of heat.

How does a ground source heat pump work?

A ground source heat pump circulates a mixture of water and antifreeze around a loop of pipe - called a ground loop - which is buried in the garden. When the liquid travels around the loop it absorbs heat from the ground - used to heat radiators, underfloor heating systems and even hot water.

The length of the ground loop depends on the size of your home and the amount of heat you need - longer loops can draw more heat from the ground.

Normally the loop is laid flat, or coiled in trenches about 1-2 metres deep, but if there is not enough space in your garden you can install a vertical loop to a depth of up to 100 metres (borehole).

The efficiency of a ground source heat pump is measured by a coefficient of performance (CoP) - the amount of heat it produces compared to the amount of electricity needed to run it. A typical CoP for a ground source heat pump is between 3.2 and 4.6 (320%-460% efficient).

Costs and savings

Costs of installing a typical system range from about £7,000 to £13,000 including installation. Running costs will depend on a number of factors - including the size of your home and how well insulated it is.

To reduce your home’s running costs and CO2 emissions further, consider installing solar electricity to power the compressor and pump or solar hot water system to provide your hot water requirements and reduce the time your heat pump is running.

Frequently asked questions

See our FAQ section or contact us 0845 459 2053 or e-mail

For maximum cost and carbon savings……

To reduce your home’s running costs and CO2 emissions further, consider installing …

Underfloor Heating for maximum efficiency in the distribution of heat, Solar Thermal (hot water) to provide your hot water requirements and reduce the time your heat pump is running, or Solar Photovoltaic (electricity) to contribute to powering the compressor and pump. Any of these can be integrated with a heat pump to maximise savings and minimise running costs.

Other options for bringing down your running costs include: Rainwater harvesting and Heat Recovery