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On 3 September 2024 EARR held an information event about Heat Pumps, in partnership with Reigate & Banstead Borough Council. Here are some of the key takeaways:
Most, if not all, buildings can now be heated with heat pumps. Bath Abbey was a surprising example of this.
You don't need underfloor heating or massive radiators
Modern heat pumps are relatively quiet (less noisy than the flue from a gas boiler).
Once installed, satisfaction rates are high and the consistent quality of the heat is appreciated by many.
However, challenges remain:
Finding a good installer, at the right price point for your budget, is key.
If your home is leaky (poorly insulated) you need to think about how this can be improved - although this could be a gradual process and can be done after installing a heat pump.
A key message was that ripping out your boiler in haste is not recommended - installing a heat pump is best done when your existing boiler is nearing the end of its useful life, as a planned transition to low carbon heating.
But don't just park it; start thinking ahead - in the UK over 70% of boiler replacements are "distress purchases" - happening when existing boilers fail, (usually when its very cold and a quick replacement is needed!) So if your boiler is over 10 year old, now could be a good time to start investigating whether a heat pump would be right for your home.
In the meantime many of us could be using our existing boilers more efficiently, for example by turning down the flow temperature on a combi boiler to 60 degrees https://moneysavingboilerchallenge.com/
Our event didn't fully answer one of the key questions: Is it cost effective to put a heat pump in my home? The answer: it depends ........ the resources below are a starting point:
Resources linked to our event speakers/stands:
Heat Pump Myth Busting - Bean Beanland, Heat Pump Federation - presentation slides
“What the hell is a heat pump?” - podcast/video interview with Bean recorded June 2024 by The Eco Experts
Advice on choosing heat pump systems and installers by Heat Pump Federation
Living with a Heat Pump - Mike Fell - presentation slides
Pump chic - Simulator that enables you to see, hear and feel what a heat pump is like in your home
Nesta’s Visit a “heat pump” scheme where you can register for home visits to see heat pumps in real life and talk to pump owners - register here
Action Surrey - How funding for heat pumps works https://www.actionsurrey.org/boilers/
Environmental Context - Alan Mills, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council - presentation slides
Other heat pump resources
Energy Saving Trust - accessible information about heat pumps - here
National planning permission guidance for heat pumps - Planning Portal here
Guardian article on installing heat pumps in older homes (May 2024) - here
Observer article on Heat Geek - scaling up the delivery of heat pumps by training installers (Aug 2024) - here
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