Heat pumps operate by utilising a compressor and a circulating mechanism of liquid or gas refrigerant to move heat from one location to another. This process involves extracting heat from external sources and transferring it to a home. The typical heat pump comes in two flavours: the air source heat pump, which absorbs heat from the air, and the ground source heat pump, which absorbs heat from the ground.
As the need for replacing fossil fuel heating systems increases, the British government is actively influencing homeowners to switch to more effective and environmentally-friendly heating systems to reach the Net Zero targets by 2050. To reach those goals, not only is the International Energy Agency accentuating that no new gas boilers should be sold and installed before 2025, but the government is also taking matters into their own hands by making heat pumps - which demand far less electricity as opposed to electric boilers, and can reach much higher efficiency rates - more attractive. One of the most widely known methods to increase the heat pump’s attractiveness is the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, a government grant that can cover some of the costs of replacing fossil fuel heating systems with a heat pump or biomass boiler.
Yet, despite the attempts to make heat pump installation more alluring, some homeowners are still choosing not to have a heat pump installed. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy - which is financially supporting the Heat Demonstration Project - has uncovered the main barriers to heat pump installation in its examination of the challenges that come with the mass rollout of environmentally-friendly heating systems. According to their research, 47 per cent of participants reported that they didn’t want to have a heat pump installed because of the disruption that the installation would cause to their home. Replacing the pipework required for a heat pump or dealing with the impact on the home’s decor makes homeowners hesitant to proceed with the installation - even if they are still interested in the long-term benefits of the heating system.
Furthermore, the high upfront costs of installing a heat pump were likewise seen as a major barrier in the report. Usually, a complete heat pump installation will cost between £5,000 and £45,000. When you have accounted for those expenses, there are still the running costs to consider. In the long run, a heat pump is still a smart investment - as goes for other renewable energy technologies, such as solar. But not everyone is capable of coughing up thousands of pounds just for the replacement of their heating system.
Other barriers named in the report include practical constraints - such as a lack of external or internal space - and technical constraints, which have to do with the heating capacity. Because of this, designers feared the comfort requirements could not be met and the installation of a heat pump was not recommended.
One thing is very clear though: to proceed with the government’s wish to reach the Net Zero targets by 2050 - and even closer by, the government’s aim for 600,000 heat pump installations by 2028 - some things must change. The barriers to heat pump installation will have to be reduced or even eliminated to make installing a heat pump even more appealing. That means that there will need to be a way to reduce the upfront costs and lessen the disruption. Thankfully, technology is advancing and steps are being taken to make low-carbon heating solutions more inviting to the average British citizen. It’s simply a matter of time.
Post sponsored by Leads.io
Poll: Should the UK’s railways be renationalised?
I think that a network inclusive of the vehicles on it would make sense. However it remains to be seen if there is any plan for it to be for the...