Heat Pumps Today

20 We know that most UK homes rely on gas boilers for heating and hot water. But we also know that this can’t continue if we are going to meet UK climate targets. The UK Heat Pump Market We know that most UK homes rely on gas boilers for heating and hot water. But we also know that this can’t continue if we are going to meet UK climate targets. The End of the Fossil Fuel Era The need to shift away from fossil fuel heating has rightly been recognised, with the Government planning a phase out date for oil and LPG heating in homes from 2026 and an ambition to phase out gas boilers from 2035. But as the fossil fuel era approaches its end, attention has turned to low carbon alternatives – and heat pumps are the centre focus. The Heat Pump Policy Landscape Over the last few years, the Government has indicated that heat pumps will be the technology of choice when it comes to replacing gas boilers in new homes. A target to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028 was introduced as part of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, and we also saw a firm commitment to the use of the technology within the Heat and Buildings Strategy published last Autumn. Why Heat Pumps? The focus on heat pumps as a low carbon heating solution is no coincidence. They oer huge carbon savings now at around 65% versus a natural gas boiler and have June | July 2022 H E A T P U M P A S S O C I A T I O N U P D A T E Written by Phil Hurley, Chair of the Heat Pump Association T. 01895 259346 E. info@blygolduk.com W. Blyg lduk.co.uk • Doubles the life of your coils • R duces your Energy Bills • Reduces the wear & tear on your units • Reduces Maintenance Costs • Reduces Call Outs • Reduces the need for early replacement Anti-Corrosion Coatings for Fin Coil Heat Exchangers U N I T E D K I N G D O M U N I T E D K I N G D O M U N I T E D K I N G D O M 2021 10th DIARY DATE 20/10/2021 ENTER BY 21/08/2021 BOOK PLACES 28/08/2021 ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN! Sponsored supported by ior-logo-2017 vector file for printing v2.pdf 1 08/02/2018 12:32 M B S MODERNBUILDING SERVICES JOIN THE ENERGY REVOLUTION WWW.NIBE.CO.UK/NIBE-PRO-INSTALLERS the potential for further reductions as the grid continues to decarbonise over time. To put this into perspective, the projected savings of a heat pump in comparison to a gas boiler would be around 95% by 2050. New Build Homes – Changes to the Building Regulations New build homes are essential for the growth of the heat pump market this decade, and it looks like this will be driven by the changes to the Building Regulations. From 2025, when the Future Homes Standard (FHS) is introduced, an average home will be required to cut carbon by at least 75% compared to current standards, with interim changes due to come into force from June this year requiring a 31% carbon reduction. These changes combined with the Government’s ambition to build 300,000 homes per year by the mid-2020s mean that new builds alone could take us halfway to meeting the 600,000-deployment target. This makes perfect sense given that the installation of the technology is easier and less disruptive, whilst avoiding the need for costly retrofits at a later date. Research by the Climate Change Committee has also shown heat pumps to be cost comparable to gas boilers in new builds already.