How much electricity does a heat pump actually use?

In order to heat in a climate-friendly manner, more and more people are deciding to install a heat pump. But how much electricity does a heat pump actually use? We show you how to calculate the power consumption.

The demand for heat pumps as an alternative to oil and gas heating is increasing. statistics show that more and more people are using alternative heat generators as the primary source of heating energy.

The power consumption is of particular interest to people who are about to make a decision and want to know whether it is worth investing in a suitable device.

How does a heat pump work?

Heat pumps use different energy sources. They draw heat from the ambient air, the earth or the groundwater. The heat is made usable for heating via a refrigerant circuit within the device.

A compressor, pumps and a blower keep the circuit going. In this way, the heat is transported to the corresponding living spaces. This process requires electricity. However, the pumps use up to 75 percent environmental heat and only 25 percent electricity as drive energy.

Heat pump power consumption: These are the factors that matter

The power consumption of a heat pump is basically made up five key factors together. Each individual is decisive for the calculation.

• Type and performance: Depending on which energy source a heat pump uses, the type of model affects the respective power consumption.
• annual performance factor: Also called JAZ, describes the efficiency of the heat pump. The heat energy generated in one year is taken and divided by the power consumption of the pump over the same period. Although the JAZ can only be calculated exactly in retrospect, there are guideline values ​​for the individual pump models.
• Number of people in the household: The annual performance factor is particularly important when it comes to hot water consumption. It increases by around 100 liters per person per day. The heat pump has to heat up this amount – which costs additional electricity.
• living space: The more living space is available, the more the heat pump has to heat, which in turn affects electricity consumption.
• building insulation: The heat pump can only work optimally with modern insulation. Buildings with poor insulation lose heat more quickly, resulting in increased electricity consumption.

How much electricity does a heat pump use?

It is true that the factors mentioned specify a calculation direction. In principle, however, the following applies: How much electricity you consume ultimately depends on yours heating behavior away. To calculate the electricity consumption of a heat pump, you can use the following rule of thumb use: annual performance factor (JAZ) x heating hours = power consumption the heat pump per year.

Electricity consumption: How much electricity does a heat pump use?

The Berlin energy company gasag has created sample calculations for the various types of heat pumps. Their results make it possible to estimate how high the electricity consumption per heat pump could be under the respective conditions.

All examples are based on a new building with standard thermal insulation and 120 square meters of living space, which is heated for 2,000 hours a year and occupied by four people.

The required heating output is 7.2 kilowatts. Added to this is the water heating, which is assumed to be 0.25 kilowatts per person per day. The sample household therefore uses a heat pump with a total heat output of nine kilowatts.

How much electricity does a groundwater heat pump use?

Nine kilowatts of heating output divided by the assumed ATS of five times 2,000 heating hours results in 3,600 kilowatt hours of electricity consumption.

How much electricity does a geothermal heat pump use?

Nine kilowatts of heating output divided by the assumed ATS of four times 2,000 heating hours results in 4,500 kilowatt hours of electricity consumption.

How much electricity does an air-to-water heat pump use?

Nine kilowatts of heating output divided by the assumed ATS of three times 2,000 heating hours results in 6,000 kilowatt hours of electricity consumption.

Calculate electricity costs of a heat pump

With the calculated power consumption, you can now calculate the electricity costs per year. To do this, you multiply the annual electricity consumption in kilowatt hours by the energy price of your electricity tariff, which you can read off on your electricity bill.

You will also find the basic monthly price there. The formula for this is: JAZ x heating hours x working price of the electricity tariff + basic price of the electricity tariff = electricity costs per year

Electricity consumption: Special tariffs for heat pumps

Various electricity providers have so-called heat pump tariffs with special prices in their offer. However, to use them, you need a separate electricity meter to separate the heat pump electricity from the household electricity.

Overall, the purchase of a heat pump is sometimes quite expensive. However, the operating costs are below those of other heating systems. However, you will only be able to see how much electricity your heat pump actually consumes after the heating season has ended.

Are heat pumps energy guzzlers?

Despite the growing popularity, the myth persists that alternative energy producers are power guzzlers. That’s why he federal Association heat pump dealt with this topic, among other things.

The conclusion: Yes, heat pumps consume more electricity. However, they require significantly less energy than natural gas or oil heating, which heats the same room. With an annual performance factor of three, for example, they only have a third of the energy requirement of a comparable condensing boiler.

This means that the individual energy consumption is significantly lower. However, it now only takes place via the energy source electricity. Conversely, this means that household consumption of electricity is increasing.

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