Hey @OEIanE !

Personally, I’d strongly recommend against it because it will likely cause nightmares. You need to use one or the other.

Thanks, Blastoise,

I was thinking of a hybrid system.  So, one or the other.

Ian

@juliamc @M.isterW @nealmurphy do you have any thoughts on hybrid systems with gas boilers and heat pumps?

If a heat pump is correctly specified and installed there should be no need for a backup heat source. Heat pumps are used in other countries in conditions far colder than the UK.

@OEIanE There are a few complete hybrid solutions you can purchase off the shelf like

https://www.daikin.co.uk/en_gb/product-group/hybrid-heat-pump.html

Others have a solution using an existing boiler and a new heat pump. 

They tend to get promoted on the premise that a gas boiler is potentially cheaper to run when it is very cold and a heat pump when it isn't. 

The other premise is if the specific heat pump would struggle to provide sufficient heat when it was very cold. There are systems installed that automatically switch between the heat pump and gas boiler. 

They certainly add complexity and there will be issues with the boiler upgrade scheme grant. They also feel like a medium term fix. 

Why are you thinking of one? 

Just thought I'd hedge my bets.  I've recently had a new gas boiler fitted,  and have wondered whether that a heat pump would have been a better option. 

Thanks, Ian 

I think it depends on your motivation. Gas boilers are still the cheapest option in terms of installation cost. Gas prices have risen faster than electricity prices so heat pumps are generally a little cheaper to run but I don't think we're going to see the gap between the two prices shift dramatically in the next 5 years. There's talk of moving the green levies from electricity to gas but so many people use gas for home heating that it would be a hard sell for the govt.

If environmental concerns are a bigger factor then yes, a heat pump would have been a better option. I guess the question now is if you should replace a fairly new boiler. A while ago I read an article by someone who calculated the environmental cost of replacing a newish gas boiler with a heat pump. He wanted the full environmental cost including manufacturing and installing the heat pump. He found that the impact of running a heat pump is so much less than a gas boiler that it very quickly offset the manufacturing impact. Unfortunately I can't find the article but if I do I'll post it.