Tuesday 7 June 2022

Heat pumps are a ‘necessity for net zero’

Heat pumps are a ‘necessity for net zero’

Installing £15,000 heat pumps in people’s homes must be done to save the planet – but it may not be entirely possible.

That’s according to experts who have claimed that gas boilers ‘have to go’ – but the cost may be hefty for most households.

The Prime Minister is looking to push the British public away from gas boilers – which 25 million homeowners still have – to electric heat pumps but the price is putting people off.

Electricity prices have risen above gas, which is another reason many are tentative to make the switch – with energy prices through the roof.

Tom Gill from The Eco Experts has stated “if we’re to hit net zero emissions by 2050, gas boilers have to go.” However, he does caveat this with “the costs involved, plus the logistics of replacing the 25 million gas boilers, are enough to make your head spin.”

He stressed that prices will drop eventually and that if the price of an air-source heat pump is too high, “infrared heating systems are cheaper overall at around £3,300”.

The government is providing grants of up to £6,000 towards air-source heat pump installations but with the average price being close to £15,000 this still means homeowners need to find £9,000 to cut their carbon.

Kevin McGuane from Property Maintenance company DMA Group claims that the government should provide “grants towards better insulation, double glazing, LED lighting and better heating controls”, as opposed to heat pumps, at a time when expenses are so high.

A key issue is also that older homes may not be able to install or accommodate for heat pumps, given their infrastructure, meaning that the costs could be even higher for these properties.

Heating Expert Myles Robinson from Boiler Central stated: “The reality is that most homeowners are looking for immediate solutions to cutting their gas bills because of the cost-of-living crisis. They most certainly do not have tens of thousands of pounds to spare.”

Written by

Bruna Pinhoni

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