Future-proof your home and save money with tepeo’s ZEB heat battery
What’s the future for your heating? What do you do about your gas and oil boilers? What about your fuel costs and prices? What are your options?
At Brimstone Energy, we bring low-cost sustainable energy to our customers, making sure each installation meets the needs of the home or business we’re working with.
If you’re ready to replace your old gas or oil boiler, tepeo’s ZEB heat battery could be the option you’ve been looking for. Known as the ZEB, they are warming houses right now.
We know it helps to see the choices on offer, so we wanted you to hear about Mark and Maria, who recently moved to Buntingford in North Hertfordshire. They chose to work with us at Brimstone, replacing their old boiler and installing tepeo’s ZEB heat battery, alongside a new GivEnergy battery storage system.
It’s another example of the growing range of options available and how Brimstone Energy is flexible to meet your needs. Read on to explore your own possible next step…
Tell us about how your project started
We moved in a few months ago. It’s a beautiful house, but we knew we were taking on a project – we’re really at the beginning of the journey.
There’s going to be lots to do, including retrofitting insulation and replacing all the windows to go with the new heating system we’ve installed.
Why did you start thinking about changing your boiler for tepeo’s ZEB heat battery?
The main reasons were cost, and the uncertainty around fuel. Of course, the two things are linked.
We had an oil boiler and oil storage in the garden. There’s uncertainty about what government net zero targets will mean for prices and supply of oil and gas. Already, the cost of the oil for the boiler was well over £1000 a year.
We also knew the oil boiler was reaching the end of its life and needed to be replaced, along with the storage tank in the garden.
We saw it as a chance to future-proof our home, make it more efficient, and take control of our energy.
Where did you begin?
We weren’t going to get a new oil boiler.
“What else is out there?”
A like-for-like replacement boiler would cost us thousands itself, and as we said, there was uncertainty around the future of oil.
When we decided to replace the boiler, we asked “What else is out there?”
We were left with two options. We could get an Air Source Heat Pump or tepeo’s ZEB heat battery.
The ZEB is powered by electricity and works like a battery to store energy as heat until it is needed. Electric heating elements charge up a “core” inside the ZEB – storing a lot of energy in a small footprint.
We liked what we read about efficiency and running costs, as well as how it could work nicely with our existing pipework. tepeo’s ZEB heat battery was the right choice for us.
Where did you find Matt and Brimstone Energy?
We wanted to use an accredited company, and we found Matt on the tepeo website as an accredited local installer.
We had a good conversation with Matt, and it was clear he knew his stuff. But at the same time, he wasn’t pushy, which meant we could talk about what we needed and wanted.
Did you already know about GivEnergy battery storage?
The GivEnergy battery storage wasn’t part of the first plan.
The tepeo ZEB runs on electricity, storing heat at cheaper off-peak times to be used on demand later. This will mean an increase in your electricity use but it should be offset, as you’re not paying for oil or gas, meaning you save there
When we were planning with Matt, he talked about us being smarter with the electricity we were taking from grid. There are tariffs giving you a much lower unit price at certain times of the day, like the Octopus Cosy option we’re now on.
He talked us through how extra battery storage would save us more money. We can charge up the battery overnight at a cheap price, and then run the house and the kitchen off the battery at peak times when prices are higher.
And when do you think prices are higher? They’re highest in the evening at dinner time when you want to run the oven and other appliances!
It was a no brainer – we asked Matt to quote for and install both tepeo’s ZEB heat battery and a 13.5 kWh GivEnergy All-in-One battery?
What about the costs of the tepeo installation?
We were going to have to spend lots on a boiler replacement, so it made sense for us to spend similar money on a system that would future-proof our home and add value to it.
People talk about getting your money back in savings over time, and that’s true. But for us, we wanted to lower our monthly bill right from the start, which is why adding the GivEnergy battery made so much sense.
How did the installation go?
The communication was spot on the whole time. Matt knows the technical side but as a customer, you need to hear some things in layman’s terms. Matt’s also able to explain the work in ways that bring you up to speed, and we were confident in him from the beginning.
The installation was fast and only took a couple of days, including upgrading the fuse box and making sure the Smart Meter was working as it should.
As you’d expect, Matt did what he said he’d do when he said he’d do it.
How do you feel now it’s all done and tepeo is heating your home?
We’re pleased. Now we’ve got tepeo’s ZEB heat battery in and working, it’s nice not to think about our energy.
The ZEB tucks nicely away in the cupboard, so day-to-day it all feels normal. Maintenance is once a year, just like with an old gas or oil boiler, and in the summer I’ll be able to completely turn it off.
Is the tepeo system doing what you need it to?
We’re both over 60, so we have to think about costs when we get to retirement age.
We know less about what will happen with energy prices and availability. But we’ve now got energy security with tepeo’s ZEB heat battery replacing the oil. Also, the GivEnergy battery means we’re less reliant on the grid because we can be smart with how we get our electricity.
It’s important to live life in the present and our system lets us do just that. We want to look after money, but we didn’t want to be thinking, “Can we turn the oven on now?”
The GivEnergy battery helps power the ZEB, but we also think of it as running our kitchen. We don’t have to worry about when the oven’s going on and if the washing machine is on at the same time. We’re using low-cost energy and it’s a good feeling.
Plus, we’re going to benefit in the future. Our Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) has improved, and we’re set for any regulation changes while enjoying lower monthly costs now.
Would you recommend Matt and Brimstone Energy?
Yes, he was great. I’m already sending work his way.
The installation was smooth, but he was also on top of all the paperwork, talking to the grid, and letting us know about the right suppliers and tariffs.
Taking care of customers like this is what sets businesses apart. He did this well.
What advice would you have for others thinking about replacing oil or gas?
You can do it but make sure you find the right installer, like we did.
You also need to think about your heating as part of your home’s bigger picture. We added the GivEnergy battery to go with tepeo’s ZEB heat battery. We’re also adding insulation and new windows to make the house more and more efficient. All this work is worth it if you do it.
From Matt, Founder of Brimstone Energy
Thanks Mark and Maria.
We loved working with you on your project and it’s brilliant to have been the company to make it happen for you.
I like what Mark said about the bigger picture.
It’s true… combining battery storage with your new ZEB heat battery is a really effective choice. Along with the insulation and windows you’ll be fitting, it all adds up to more savings, more energy security, and a more future-proofed home.
Source: https://brimstone-energy.uk/case-study-tepeo-zeb-heat-battery/