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FAQ

Bespoke home and business heat solutions

Got a question?

Our approach is to offer tailor-made advice to suit your property and meet your needs, so we would always assess this before making any recommendations. Listed below are some of the questions we are asked. If you have any questions or queries then please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Installers - umbrella

How does it work?

Check out this process for what you need to do, what we do, when each payment from the customer will be required and when payments to the installer are made, and more -  bit.ly/3Pjzxfo

Can I use the service for my own clients or will VitoEnergy provide leads?
You can either bring your own clients and use us for compliance so they can get the BUS grant, we also provide leads to our regular installers free of charge!
Which items do I have to supply and which ones do VitoEnergy provide?

VitoEnergy will supply; the heat pump, primary controller, cylinder, underfloor heating (if applicable) and the connection kits (including filter) for the heat pump (if applicable).

The installer will need to supply; pipe, fittings, clips, radiators, 3rd party controls, base materials, heating expansion vessel, diverter and/or 2-port valve, buffer or volumiser.

Can I commission the heat pump or will you send someone?

If you have the BPEC or LCL in heat pump installation and you have registered with us then you can commission and be paid for it, otherwise we will send a commissioning engineer on the last day.

Does the client need a valid EPC before having a heat pump installed?
A valid EPC must be present when the paperwork is being completed for the BUS grant, we know that often this cannot be ready until the project is near completion. We ask that the homeowner signs a contract committing to providing the EPC once the property is up to standard. If they don’t (or can’t) then the £5,000 figure will be the responsibility of the property owner and not VitoEnergy as it is no longer an MCS compliant project.
Do I have to fill in the survey form?

Yes please, we have created this form so that you can provide us with the property requirements and the parts needed.


Retrofits form: bit.ly/3Pos8vE
New Builds form: bit.ly/3rgQRcY

Heat pumps

Is a quote chargeable?
Usually not but we may suggest a heat loss is done at the same time which is chargeable.
How much money do I receive from the government grant?
You receive £5000 for replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump and £6000 for a ground source
Do I need to replace all my radiators?
Not necessarily, a full house heat loss completed in the design stage will determine this.
Will I be cold in the winter?

When we complete the heat loss calculation, we take this into consideration. We design the heating system to provide adequate heat down to -2 around Surrey.

Can a heat pump be more efficient than my current boiler?
When designed correctly, a heat pump can be up to 500% efficient, a condensing gas boiler is 94% efficient.
Do I get a manufacturer's warranty with my installation?
Yes and in fact any MCS qualifying heat pump installation has several guarantees; first is the insurance backed guarantee which protects your money from the star of the project, second is the workmanship guarantee which means us as the installer is committed for at least two years in case there is a problem, last is the manufacturer’s guarantee for all parts and labour of the heat pump (and cylinder). This last one varies but most heat pumps have 5-7 years.
Do I need a valid EPC before having a heat pump installed?
A valid EPC must be present when the paperwork is being completed for the BUS grant, we know that often this cannot be ready until the project is near completion. We ask that the homeowner signs a contract committing to providing the EPC once the property is up to standard. If they don’t (or can’t) then the £5,000 figure will be the responsibility of the property owner and not VitoEnergy.
Do I need to find an EPC assessor or can VitoEnergy provide one?

We believe it would be a conflict of interest for us to provide an EPC and that it should be independent, for the same reason we do not recommend one.  We suggest checking your last EPC on the register and contacting that assessor or checking Google for the highest rated local provider.

Will a heat pump reduce my EPC band?
Interestingly it used to be the case as they were classified as an electric heating appliance, this was changed in mid 2023 to reflect their efficiency so now they will raise the EPC.
What insulation do I have to have before a heat pump installation?
In order to comply with the BUS grant your EPC must not require wall insulation or loft insulation, this means that if you have a cavity it must be filled and that the loft insulation must be at least 270mm thick.

Boilers

If I am having a boiler or heat pump service and it needs a repair is labour included or are any parts included?
Parts and labour outside of warranty are chargeable, we offer a 2-year workmanship guarantee and the heat pumps and boilers have 5-10 year warranties which are maintained by the manufacturer.
Why can’t we use the existing flue?
In some cases we may suggest reusing a flue, Viessmann in particular are happy with third party flues as long as they are sized correctly and in good condition. Almost always by the time a boiler is at the end of its useful life the flue will be as well, it is imperative that safety is prioritised so the flue is usually replaced but an engineering approach is always taken.
Can we have heat and hot water on while you are doing the work?
While we will attempt to keep services on for as long as possible, there is always a changeover period, the installer and/or surveyor will discuss these with you.
Do we have to have weather compensation and low temperature circuits?
We find that weather compensation and low temperature leads to the cheapest bills and most comfortable home, this does not mean that the house will ever be cold, just that only the minimum amount of energy will be used to maintain the right temperature.
Why do we have to run the heating all day and night at low temperature, rather than just having it hot when we want it?
It uses less energy to have a setback setting which prevents the property from losing too much heat overnight or during the day while it is unoccupied, otherwise raising it from below (roughly) 16-18°c uses more energy than maintaining it at a lowered temperature.
Will it be cheaper to run than the old system if I want it turned on all day and night on low temperature?
Yes, it should be, as long as the demand stays the same then a modern condensing boiler with weather compensation should be over 90% efficient (and up to 96%) whereas a standard efficiency boiler can be as low as 60%
Why is oversizing a new boiler or heat pump so bad?

It is a common misconception that bigger equals better when it comes to boilers. In fact, an oversized boiler (i.e. excessive capacity) causes unnecessary wear and tear. It can also cause ‘cycling’ – where overheating from excess energy causes the boiler to repeatedly shut down, cool, and start up again, putting stress on the entire system. This was a problem with boilers and had an impact of around 10%, with heat pumps it can be the difference between 200% and 450%! Check out our SCOP explanation blog for more on that here...

How do I calculate my new boiler or heat pump size?
There are various on-line calculators, which claim to do this for you, or ‘rules of thumb’ that you can follow. However, in our experience the vast majority lead to oversizing your boiler installation. The best way is to use a heat loss tool like Heat Engineer or to pay us to do it.
Why do you recommend Viessmann and Vaillant?
We are happy to advise on any make of boiler or heat pump, and we make sure we keep up-to-date with all the products currently on the market. However, we recommend Viessmann and Vaillant products where appropriate, as they are leaders in commercial and domestic heating, with regards to efficiency and sustainability. We have installed hundreds of each manufacturer’s offerings and work closely with them both to maintain not only our reputation but theirs.
Do I really need a powerflush?
Possibly not. There are a couple of instances where a powerflush may be beneficial, for very poorly maintained systems for example. However, there are other ways to clean your system: a chemical flush (using chemicals to dislodge dirt) and a mains flush (using water from the mains and vibration techniques). If you’ve been told you need a powerflush to conform to a manufacturer’s warranty, we would encourage you to ask further questions.
What does the boiler guarantee cover?
Your boiler warranty covers all parts and labour within your boiler that have developed a fault that is not considered wear and tear or has been caused by negligence by your installer.

Book an Appointment

One of our friendly engineers can visit to supply you with your
free, no-obligation quote or consultation.  
Or feel free to call 01252 596 300

    • Excellent. Diligent and proactive

      "We are heating and ventilation designers who specialise in low-energy and passivhaus homes. We have worked with VitoEnergy on a number of projects and have found them to be excellent. Diligent and proactive they deliver a high-quality job and are always keen to ensure the systems they install are the most efficient possible."

      JOHN PALMER, Managing Director, ​​​​​​​Enhabit

    • Professional, polite and considerate

      "Really impressed with the level of service, from getting a quote and booking the job, to the excellent work done by Greg and Liam doing our upgrade to a Combi boiler. They were very professional, polite and considerate, happy to work around any problems and keep us informed of the progress, and the work looks to have been completed to a very good standard. Much appreciated!"

      Nick Bentley

    • Tremendously responsive and good natured

      "I had to replace an old gas boiler that was no longer up to spec and there was some extra work necessary to ensure the flue could be fully assessible. VitoEnergy gave me a really great quote and did the job in rapid order - I was very pleased with the installation but had an issue with some of the flue routing. However - they were incredibly responsive, absolutely addressing the issue post haste and moreover pointing out and resolving another couple of issues on my gas supply that I didn't realise needed addressing. They are a tremendously responsive and good natured, friendly company and I have no hesitation in recommending them."

      Hashim Hassan
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