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Heat pumps have long been touted as the answer to the climate crisis, but is the roll-out programme going to plan? Ginetta Vedrickas reports The ultimate guide to heat pumps
THE ROAD TO NET ZERO When it comes to climate action, the UK’s legal target is to achieve net zero by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement following a legally binding international treaty on climate change. Adopted by 196 parties at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP21, in Paris, on 12 December 2015, it came into force on 4 November 2016 with the aim of holding “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre- industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre- industrial levels”. In response, the UK Government’s aim has been to negate the amount
FUNDING FOR UPGRADING TO A HEAT PUMP The Government is keen that heat pumps become the chosen alternative to gas boilers, and it is currently giving grants to homeowners to install them via its Boiler Upgrade Scheme, with the aim of 600,000 installations per year. From October 2023, grant levels for heat pumps were increased to £7,500 with funding confirmed until March 2028. So far so good, but research shows that the UK’s heat pump installation programme isn’t going quite to plan. Heating specialist Heatpumps London found that the UK currently has just 412 heat pumps per 100,000 people and it points to research which found that there’s a lack of knowledge even among the construction sector itself. Among builders, 56% lack sufficient information to advise on cleaner alternatives to traditional gas boilers, with 44% admitting that they wouldn’t recommend heat pumps due to unawareness of their benefits. And 11% of builders are unaware of available grants such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Heatpumps London also points out that there is concern over a lack of engineers able to “retrofit” UK homes – to install new technology such as heat pumps into older- style properties, which is contributing to high installation costs and long wait times.
The heating specialist says that increasing the rate of heat pump adoption in the UK could create up to 55,000 new jobs, yet there are currently only around 2,000 jobs in the industry.The NAO also calls the 2028 target “unrealistic”, and it urges the Government to increase public awareness of the green technology and work to reduce costs. NAO Director Simon Bittlestone told the BBC, “The Government has some big questions to answer about how it plans to decarbonise home heating.” FINDING INFORMATION ON HEAT PUMPS AND THEIR RUNNING COSTS As the demand for energy-efficient heating and cooling solutions continues to rise, heat pumps are being touted as a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative, and there’s plenty of information out there to help you decide whether they are right for you. Provider of heating systems and installation, Hartswood Heating, for example, has produced its Ultimate Guide to Heat Pumps which the heating specialist describes as a “comprehensive resource designed to empower homeowners with essential knowledge and insights into the world of heat pumps” as it knows that navigating the complexities of heat pump technology and
of greenhouse gases produced by human activity, by reducing
emissions and implementing methods of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.The National Audit Office, NAO, found that heating the UK’s 28 million homes accounted for 18% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available. The main source of emissions is from burning natural gas to heat homes. Air source heat pumps (ASHPs), use electricity rather than gas like boilers and, as the UK produces more electricity from renewable energy, fewer emissions will be created by heating our homes this way. Reducing emissions
installation can be daunting. This definitive resource aims to cover everything you need to know about heat pumps, including how they work and their
from heating homes is therefore a key component of the Government’s overall target to achieve net
zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
120 First Time Buyer August/September 2024
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