In the past two years, it appeared almost unequivocally. Anyone who installs a heat pump is entitled to a generous subsidy and will save a lot on electricity, especially if they supplement it with solar panels on the roof and some kind of battery. But as it turns out, calculations with high savings worked mainly in theory and on paper, and in reality it is far from so famous. In some cases, it even turns out to be very disadvantageous.
The theory failed this time
“The customer may not give unilateral statements of convenience. It is not advisable to be tempted by unsubstantiated promises and assurances about the simplicity of replacing the heat source,” the Faei server quotes the statement of the Czech Chamber of Authorized Engineers and Technicians active in construction.
They already warned some time ago that people should not be influenced by what someone peeks at them and above all by the general sentiment that prevailed in the country. One thing is the theoretical calculations of savings, which with a little exaggeration can bear everything, but the other thing is real operation, where you will come across a whole range of restrictions.
For example, the fact that photovoltaic panels on roofs produce practically no electricity or only minimally in winter. At that moment, however, the heat pump begins to consume a lot of electricity from the network. And it must be said that electricity is still very expensive. The current price for one megawatt hour is CZK 3,990. It is possible to get even lower, but at the cost of fixation, which may turn out to be disadvantageous.
When needed, it doesn’t work
Family houses in the Czech Republic have the greatest need for heat in the winter. That’s when you consume the largest part of the annual consumption. It’s nice that you generate electricity in the summer, but then you don’t use it much for the heat pump. On the contrary, heating with a gas boiler is still much more profitable in winter, also because gas is cheaper.
At the same time, there is another factor. The state, through the Energy Regulatory Office, significantly increased the regulated price of electricity. Most of all, this will affect the owners of heat pumps, whose annual bills may increase by as much as ten thousand crowns.
Read also: Prohibition of gas boilers. Already in 2025, only heat pumps are to be installed
At the same time, it is also necessary to take into account the considerable costs that people had to invest in the heat pump despite the subsidies. It is not a cheap matter at all, and ČKAIT engineers contradict the often mentioned myth that it is a maintenance-free device. On the contrary, breakdowns are relatively frequent and service life must also be addressed. One day, the pump will need to be replaced, and that again will not be pleasant. Then you no longer need to receive any subsidy.
Foto: Shutterstock
2024-01-23 15:00:00
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