Gas or air heat pump experiences?

It is certainly not as robust as gas, but there is no need to be afraid.

Why is there no distinction made between air-to-air heat pumps and air-to-water heat pumps? A colleague of mine has an air-to-air heat pump and consumes over 11,000 kW of electricity per year. The house was newly built in 2006. That is intense. We currently have 2,300 kW after about 8 months, including a short screed drying period. Meanwhile, we have a baby and have therefore kept the whole house constantly above 24 degrees for 1 month. And in our region, there is so much snow that I was still shoveling snow last week. I wonder what really went wrong there.

Why is there no distinction made between air-to-air heat pumps and air-to-water heat pumps? A colleague of mine has an air-to-air heat pump and consumes over 11,000 kW of electricity per year. The house was newly built in 2006. That is intense. We currently have 2,300 kW after about 8 months, including a short screed drying period. Although we have a baby and therefore have been keeping the entire house constantly above 24 degrees for 1 month now. And in our region, there is snow, so much that I was still shoveling snow last week. I wonder what really went wrong.

These air-to-air heat pumps are pure electric heaters anyway... they are often pushed onto Bien-Zenker customers and advertised as miracle heaters. I could bet that your colleague has a Bien-Zenker house.

Shoveled snow just last week? Do you live on the Swabian Jura?

Air-to-air heat pump in the Rhineland passive house/KFW40 house can definitely be a concept that works. Of course, as a builder, you have to make sure that the costs are appropriate.

Yes, in a passive house this can make sense. But anyone who sells this as a miracle heating system to clueless customers should actually be held responsible for the electricity costs. Because only very few build KFW40(+)

Wow, I seem to have caused a belief war here Anyway, many thanks for the interesting contributions!

In the meantime, I have informed myself at various places:

1. Consumer center, hotline: According to their view, air heat pumps are at best so-so, often do not work well because they are incorrectly dimensioned and used. They can become power guzzlers because they can only gain little heat at very cold outside temperatures and heat up with electricity. The roaster would personally prefer gas. The information brochure also views the air-to-water heat pump rather critically.

2. Energy advisor of the district: Air-to-water heat pump is not fundamentally bad. Gas itself is economical, but gas must be supplemented with, for example, solar thermal to meet the new minimum standard. No one knows how prices for electricity/gas will develop. His personal favorite (not specifically for us) is the wood pellet heating, especially if one is planning a fireplace anyway. With luck, one can use the same chimney, since wood/wood. In addition, the chimney sweep comes anyway twice a year because of the fireplace. And wood pellets (pressed wood waste) are a raw material that at least in the past was not particularly expensive.
He estimates the costs for gas/solar thermal at around €15,000, air-to-water heat pump around €22,000, and wood pellet heating at €25,000-30,000.

My interim conclusion: We will decide on a house plan. It will definitely have large windows facing south/southwest to enjoy a bit of natural solar heating in winter. Possibly play around with the roof overhangs to at least avoid overheating in the upper sleeping area.

Which system I will discuss with the energy advisors and suppliers – and in any case I will have the final offer checked again by the consumer center or the [Bauherren-Schutzbund].

Have a nice holiday evening!