Case study · California, Falkirk
Bringing a little California warmth to Scotland
Yes, there really is a California in Falkirk, just without the palm trees. We recently took a bungalow there off its outdated electric storage heaters and gave it a complete wet central heating system, powered by a 7kW Vaillant aroTHERM plus air source heat pump.
A £9,000 Home Energy Scotland grant helped pay for it.
At a glance
The challenge
Storage heaters charge up overnight and let the heat out through the day. Every unit of electricity gives you one unit of heat, and once the stored heat runs out, that’s it until the next night. It can be an expensive way to keep a house warm, with very little control over when the warmth arrives.
There was no wet heating system in the house at all, so this wasn’t a straight swap. The job meant designing and fitting a full central heating system from scratch.
Before
Electric storage heaters
Around 1kWh of heat for every 1kWh of electricity. Heat stored overnight, with little say over when it comes out.
After
Vaillant aroTHERM plus heat pump
Around 4kWh of heat for every 1kWh of electricity. Proper wet central heating, with control over the whole home.
What we installed
The heat pump
A 7kW Vaillant aroTHERM plus now sits at the back of the bungalow on a solid slab base, raised on feet with a gravel border around it. The pipework and cabling run neatly up the wall and into the house. The aroTHERM plus runs on R290, a natural refrigerant.
Radiators and pipework
New radiators and pipework went in throughout the home, giving it proper wet central heating for the first time.
Hot water in the loft
A 175 litre Vaillant cylinder sits on a boarded area of the loft, with the system controls and expansion vessels fitted around it. Putting it up there keeps the living space clear.
As Vaillant accredited installers, we looked after the whole job, from design through to commissioning.
Funding with the Home Energy Scotland grant
The project was supported by a £9,000 Home Energy Scotland grant. That’s the standard £7,500 heat pump grant plus a £1,500 rural uplift for homes that qualify. Homeowners can also apply for an interest-free loan on top of the grant.
Read our step-by-step guide to the Home Energy Scotland grant, or find out more on the Home Energy Scotland website.
The result
Based on the system design, the new setup is expected to bring:
On top of the numbers, the home now has improved comfort and proper heating control throughout. Another Forth Valley home making the switch to smarter, more efficient heating.
Savings, efficiency and carbon reductions are based on system design estimates. Actual performance and savings may vary.
Thinking about replacing storage heaters?
If you’re on storage heaters, oil or LPG anywhere in Falkirk, Stirling, Alloa or the wider Forth Valley, we’d love to talk you through your options, including the grant funding you could be entitled to.
More heat pump case studies
See all our case studies or find out more about our heat pump installations across the Forth Valley.
