A Family Home in Hamry near Hlinsko: From Coal to a Heat Pump : Regulus

In the past, heating meant regularly buying and storing coal and wood, loading fuel to the boiler, removing ash and constantly checking its operation. Fuel costs were around CZK 50,000 per year, with another approximately CZK 30,000 spent on electricity.

“We used to heat with coal and wood. Every year, that meant bringing in the coal, loading fuel, removing ash and constantly keeping an eye on things. And then there were the costs – around CZK 50,000 a year for fuel and another CZK 30,000 for electricity,” Mr Ladislav recalls.

The motivation for making a change was not only greater comfort, but also the desire for a more environmentally friendly heating solution and the opportunity to take advantage of subsidy support.

The change started with solar water heating

The first step came as early as 2008, when a solar thermal system for water heating with 4 KPS11 collectors was installed on the house. A few years later, it was followed by a Regulus EcoAir 415 heat pump, which replaced the original solid-fuel heating system in 2016.

“At the time, it made sense – electricity prices were low, subsidies were generous and, most importantly, you simply didn’t want to be running to the boiler every winter,” he says with a smile.

Regulus completed the system installation in a single day, without the need for any structural modifications. The turnkey replacement also included administration of the subsidy application. Thanks to the subsidy, according to Mr Ladislav, the investment paid for itself in approximately three years.

What the solution consisted of

The combination of a heat pump and solar water heating brought, above all, a change in the day-to-day operation of the house. There was no longer any need to buy, store and handle coal and wood or regularly remove ash.

“The system works without any problems, and it needs servicing roughly once every three years. It’s clean and effortless, and we also gained an extra room that used to be used for storing coal.”

By eliminating the fuel storage area, the family gained additional space that had previously been used to store coal. Heating also became significantly cleaner – without the ash, dust and dirt associated with handling solid fuels.

Heating under control from anywhere

The system also offers remote control. Using the IR Client app, the temperature and heating time schedules can be adjusted from anywhere.

According to Mr Ladislav, the simple controls and automatic operation are among the greatest benefits of the entire solution. After more than twelve years of operation, the system continues to work without any problems.

Costs are not just about the price of energy

Electricity prices have changed over the years, and in 2025 the annual costs reached approximately CZK 70,000. Nevertheless, Mr Ladislav views the switch from solid fuels positively.

He no longer buys coal at all. In addition to the fuel costs, the daily work associated with transporting, storing and adding fuel, as well as cleaning up, has also disappeared.

For him, therefore, the main benefit is not just the savings themselves, but above all cleanliness, simple operation and comfort.