The end of the thermostat wars at Heath Cottage

Heath Cottage, in the Surrey Hills, became home to Giulia and Matt after a long search for the right family home and a suitable renovation project. The property offered character and space for their collective family, but it did present some immediate challenges, especially when it came to the energy set-up. The existing stove which provided hot water and central heating was unreliable, and the building lacked insulation in the cavity walls and loft. In terms of a solution, they didn’t have to think too hard, as Giulia is the Head of Marketing & Communications at Daikin UK, and has spent years extolling the virtues of Daikin’s heat pump technologies.

Tackling an outdated heating setup

Matt explains some of the issues faced on heating what is a sizeable home. “When we first moved into the property, we knew we would have to make substantial changes to our heating and hot water set-up.” Giulia picks up on how they quickly moved to defining a Daikin solution for Heath Cottage. “As someone who works for Daikin, I already understand a lot of the advantages of our heat pumps. We talk about how they can reduce your carbon footprint, how they can improve your energy efficiency, and how they provide better levels of comfort and reliable hot water. So, I was keen to see those benefits realised in my own life, in my own home.”

Choosing the right installer was an important step. “We chose Mike from Hello Renewables because he's our local installer from the Daikin Sustainable Home Network. The quality of installer is critical to having a positive experience, and we knew we were in safe hands with Mike.”

Enabling a low-temperature system

Mike Wyeth of Hello Renewables quickly confirmed that Heath Cottage was a strong candidate for a Daikin heat pump. During the initial survey, he suggested several steps that would enable a low-temperature system to be installed, as Matt explains. “We decided to put in new loft insulation, and cavity wall insulation as well as blocking off some of the old fireplaces.” Giulia adds, “With those energy efficiency improvements in place, we were able to go for a low-temperature system, which is actually one of the most efficient systems that you can get, which I hadn’t thought we’d be able to achieve due to the size of our house.”

A smooth, organised installation

Once work began, the process was relatively straightforward, as Mike notes. “Generally, we allow a week for the installation. Over the course of the first few days we undertake the main install, in this case fixing the heat pump outside, putting the cylinder in the loft, running the lagging out to the pump, and connecting everything up inside. By Friday, we’re ready to do the handover and the final tidy up.”

For Matt, the efficiency of the install stood out. “The installation experience is straightforward: very simple. It took five days and with minimal disruption.” Giulia adds: “On the Friday, we had the handover. Mike talked us through all the key points for setting the system - day and night - as well as how to register for the warranties online so the week went in a flash. It was no problem at all. And of course, the Daikin Onecta App is very intuitive and easy to use. So we can control the heating and hot water in a few clicks.”

Maintenance guidance was similarly clear. When Giulia asked about upkeep, Mike noted that for the heat pump, the most important thing was to make sure there's nothing in front of the unit and to check the back occasionally for debris: “The system really takes care of itself once in,” says Mike. “There’s very little to do, other than booking in an annual maintenance visit.”

Comfort, consistency, and reliable hot water

With the system up-and-running, the improvement in comfort was immediate as Matt explains. “We've been using the system for a few weeks now, really enjoying consistent heat in the house and a lot of hot water on demand for our family.”

Giulia noticed the change in comfort even more keenly. “It's the end of the thermostat wars – and most people will know what I mean by that! We have a lovely warm home – the level of heat is much more consistent than with the on-off cycling of a thermostat and we now wake up to comfortable heat, with enough hot water for all our girls to enjoy a shower.”

What about first indications of cost efficiency? Giulia is confident that the investment will pay off. “Having only moved into this bigger house a few months ago, it’s difficult to judge the energy savings. However, it looks like our running costs will be equal or lower than the estimated annual bill from our energy provider, had we stayed on gas. And we know that we’re running a much more efficient system, which will save us money as the price of electricity comes down. Hopefully in the future we can add a home battery and solar panels and become almost entirely energy self-sufficient.”