The costs for electricity are based on the consumption and the price. We don't know what you consider to be expensive.
There are international HP web pages where consumers can enter their details so everyone is able to have a look and compare like-with-like.
 
Please include your details as precise as possible at
 
http://wp-verbrauch.in-tostedt.de/index.php?lang=en
 
And see what others are using. It's free, well, someone has the work with it. Your donation would be your HP/consumption/building data....
 
Thanks.

Mairi,
One of the issues with GSHP's is that they are fundamentally a large electric pump, so use electricity.
Most HP manufacturers quote figures in the region of 4:1 COP, whereby for each of 1Kw electricity used, 4Kw of heat will be generated. From my limited experience most systems seem to average about 3:1 COP, which when you take into account the cost of electricity (being roughly double per joule of say gas) the system is difficult to justify. Your case of new build, well insulated and UF heating is the best combination for GSHP, so a little surprised that you find it as bad as you do. What size is the house and what energy consumption have you experienced to date.

Mairi.
Sorry to hear about your huge electric bills, but figures would be helpful, and the layout of your home, 1 floor, or 2 floor, open plan, insulation thickness in floor walls and roof, single or 2 or 3 glazed windows, also model and typr of GSHP, in the lawn or deep well type.
I have friends up the road from me, they have a 100sq meter single floor with full basement, mostly open plan, highly insulated with triple glazing. The installed last year a Thermia deep well HP, and are thrilled about it, extremely efficient fully capable in supply tap water at 72C, and heating the whole house during our 5 month long winter, with 2 ft of snow for 3 months. Their total electricity including everything, everything was about 8000 Kwhs, about £900 for the whole year

kWh = killa wot ours