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We review the Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP as we look for the best ground source heat pumps in the UK.
The average home can save £375!
The Greenstore LECP combi heat pump comes with its own water cylinder. (image credit: Worcester-Bosch)
Worcester-Bosch made a name for itself making award-winning gas boilers, but its ground source heat pumps range is incredibly impressive as well. Firstly the Greenstore LECP heat pump range looks stylish, which is good news for smaller homes where you might not be able to disguise it.
They are Quiet Mark-accredited, which means your heat pump won’t wake you up in the morning! Power outputs vary, and homeowners will be able to choose one that best fits the size and heating needs of their home.
Worcester-Bosch offers a two-year guarantee on all its heat pumps, but you can opt into Alto Energy’s MCS Umbrella Scheme to extend that guarantee to seven years.
Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP ground source heat pumps are available as either a combi model or system model. The combi model includes a built-in hot water cylinder, while system models are installed alongside a Greenstore solar-ready cylinder. The combi range will suit the needs of most households and is towards the more affordable end of the market while still very energy-efficient. Households can choose between various combi outputs, ranging from 5.1kW-10.2kW.
Highlights: A built-in 185-litre hot water cylinder
Key benefit: Highly-efficient operation, with an ERP Energy Efficiency Rating of A+
Maximum flow temperature: A maximum flow temperature of 20°C with up to 400% efficiency
Capacity: 185 litres
Dimensions: 1,800mm (h) x 600mm (w) x 645mm (d)
If you’re considering purchasing a Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP for your home, it’s important to weigh up the advantages and the disadvantages carefully. Some of the benefits of this model include:
There are plenty of reasons to like the Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP but there are a few disadvantages as well:
The inside of the Greenstore LECP heat pump (image credit: Worcester-Bosch)
The more insulated your home is, the more efficient the heating system will be. The size of the ground source heat pump you’ll require is tied to how much heat your home loses, so, before you buy a ground source heat pump, you should ensure that your home is as well-insulated as possible.
A ground loop or network of pipes will be installed first. Horizontal systems comprise pipes set in trenches around two metres deep, spanning a wide area. Vertical systems comprise pipes buried in boreholes up to 100 metres deep. Whether you choose a horizontal or vertical system depends on your outdoor space. Usually, you won’t need planning permission from your local authority to install ground source heat pumps on your property, but may do if you live in a listed building or in a conservation area.
Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP ground source heat pumps are among the best on the market, but it’s always worth examining your options. The Kensa Evo range offers an impressive A+++ efficiency rating and a 15% gain in efficiency compared to its previous models. It’s more compact than the Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP, offers a 5-year warranty and has a larger output from 7kW to 17kW. Its maximum flow temperature is also three times higher than that of the Greenstore LECP, although it doesn’t come with its own water cylinder. You can also pick one up at a cheaper price than the Worcester-Bosch options.
However, if you have a larger home and need serious output from your heat pump, you should skip over both the Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP and the Kenso Evo and opt for a Viessmann Vitocal 350-G. It’s one of the most powerful ground source heat pumps on the market, with single-stage heating outputs from 20.5kW-42.3kW and two-stage from 41kW to 84.6kW, with maximum flow temperatures of up to 70 degrees Celsius. This makes the Viessmann Vitocal a better option for heating a large home. On the downside, you can expect to pay up to £2,000 more for your Veissman unit than your Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP heat pump.
The Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP ground source heat pump is a premium product, and not the cheapest (or most expensive, for that matter) on the market. Here’s how it compares:
| Manufacturer | Cost (excluding installation and labour) |
|---|---|
| Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP | £8,000 |
| Viessmann Vitocal 350-G | £10,000 |
| Kenso Evo | £6,000 |
Like all ground-source heat pumps, your Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP will require annual maintenance to protect its warranties and prevent the system from breaking down.
Regular inspection will help you identify leaks, and refrigerant levels, and find worn parts and other issues that could lead to equipment failure. Make sure that you clean the supply and return registers regularly and straighten the fins if they become bent. A professional technician should inspect the ducts, filters, blower and indoor coils for obstructions at least once a year.
“We believe that Worcester-Bosch provides the best range of domestic condensing boilers and solar and ground source heating solutions available. That is why we are proud to partner with Worcester-Bosch as approved installers and service engineers. The environment is under great strain, particularly from the increasing threats presented by global warming. Worcester-Bosch has devoted itself to developing solutions which use sustainable energy, stemming the drain on non-renewable fossil fuels.”
“Worcester-Bosch is one of the oldest brands in domestic heating. It pioneered the development of traditional boilers, and the company was an early investor in developing renewable energy technology. Its air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps are built to a very high standard, and all are built to at least an A grade for energy efficiency. There is arguably no bigger brand in home heating and no company with a better reputation than the Worcester-Bosch group.”
“In my 5th year of running a Worcester-Bosch ground source heat pump. The heat pump system works very well and is economical to run compared to my old oil-fired system. My word of warning to any potential customers looking to purchase a renewables product would be before you commit to ordering a Worcester-Bosch product do some research first about who would be available should your boiler break down and you are left with no heating or hot water. I have found of all the manufacturers Worcester-Bosch GSHP is the least well supported on the market even though the vast majority of Worcester-Bosch accredited dealers don’t tend to offer any support for renewables. This means should your system go offline expect a much longer wait with no heating or hot water than if you had a standard gas or oil-fired boiler.”
“Economical, quiet and very reliable. Compared to the installation and running costs of my neighbour’s 18kW heat pump I made the better choice … His words, not mine!”
Overall, we found very little to criticise when it comes to the Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP ground source heating system. The combi, with its built-in 185-cylinder, is bulkier than most but eliminates the need to install a cylinder in the home. With efficiencies of up to 400%, this heat pump can generate plenty of power for the modern home.
We also like the room temperature controller and smart weather compensation technology that make adjustments to your pump as needed, which keeps energy consumption (and electricity costs) down.
The brand is reputable, innovative and sustainable. All heat pumps and boilers produced by Worcester-Bosch are built to a high standard and made to last. It’s also quiet enough to use with confidence in smaller homes or semi-detached properties.
The only real concern here is the size. If you do have a smaller home, the bulkier Greenstore LECP may be hard to accommodate. The maximum flow temperature is also considerably lower than that of its competitors.
The Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP is a good buy for mid-sized homes that want a quality ground source heat pump with a water cylinder attached at a good price. Smaller homes should look at the Kenso Shoebox range, while very large properties would do better with one of the Viessmann ground source heat pumps.
Bear in mind that you need to ensure that your home is as well-insulated as possible to derive the maximum benefit from your Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP ground source heat pump. If so, you can greatly reduce your heating bills once the heating system has been fitted. It’s an expensive investment, but one that will pay off in the long term.
While compiling this review, we evaluated hundreds of customer reviews, professional forums, media articles and other sources. We then scored the Worcester-Bosch Greenstore LECP against the criteria that most consumers would consider before purchasing a ground source heat pump. A total score of 100 was possible, compiled as follows: