https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/heat-pumps/high-temperature-...

Given that there are a lot of existing houses out there, surely drop in replacements should be more prevalent.

To be honest the prices I see out there are still generally 'luxury' anyway. If i am spending £20k on a boiler, then an extra £2k to have a secondary gas system that never/very rarely gets used wouldn't bother me at all.

What it can't do is make 70°C LWT when it's -28°C outside. It can only do that down to -15°C and starts to lose both max LWT and heating capacity below that.

I guess being 2x as efficient (cheap) as electric resistive heating isn't super-terrible, but it's not great either.

Compare this to a favorable groundwater heat pump configuration with good radiators and insulation where the 'outside' (groundwater) is maybe 10°C and the target temp 30°C (close to room temp): (273+10)K/20K = ~14.

Setting aside capital costs that's going to cost you 7kWh per hour of heating. An oil boiler will cost 20kWh per hour of heating.

If your oil costs 40c per litre/$1.50 per gallon and each litre delivers 10kWh, that's about 80c/hour to heat

If your electricity costs 10c per kWh, that's 70c/hour to heat, that's a win

If your electricity fosts 15c per kWh, that's $1/hour to heat, that's a loss

If even you could, you may not want to. Instead one external heat pump handle heads on the top floor, which is generally bedrooms, and not occupied during the day; a second external unit to handle heads on the main floor, which are generally not occupied overnight.

Each individual smaller unit runs less because the load is more focused in 'zones'.