By Neil Turner, Director, Howarth Litchfield.
I continuously read in the national newspaper articles on heat pumps with a great deal of negativity and scepticism.
We are told by central government that we should all be swapping across to them for new builds and refurbishments, yet even the 2035 proposed ban on gas boilers, is now reversed.
So, the advice, guidance and legislation are changing, hardly helpful to people when considering the plunge to invest in the technologies.
The technology has been around a long time – over 150 years – and was first installed in the UK in 1945. The first closed loop system (ground source – hence GSHP) was installed in 1995 in Devon. Air source (ASHP) – is a more recent development – and to my surprise the first systems were recorded as recently as 2008. I installed my own GSHP system in 2013, so I was early to this party.
The Europeans, however, have been fitting them for many more decades with the Americans close behind.
The advantages are that they are more energy efficient than a conventional gas or oil boiler. Every unit of electricity used generates three or four and it works like a reverse fridge, for both the air and ground and/or water-based versions.
They work best at a lower temperature, compared to a gas boiler and are therefore better suited to underfloor heating than radiators.
This technology is simple to use, easy to maintain and operates on electricity, not fossil fuels. Since electricity generation is increasingly reliant on cleaner sources, with 45% from renewable sources and potentially 66% if nuclear is included, this makes it a low-carbon choice.
The downsides are the initial expense. If you join a heat pump to an existing radiator system, the result may be disappointing, so increasing the pipe size and radiators help the performance but increase the initial costs.
The air source units need to sit outside a house or office building whereas ground source pumps are located inside a plant room; additionally, some do generate noise and they are not particularly attractive units, resembling air conditioning units.
The cost of electric is high too in the UK, whilst our gas is cheaper than in Europe. So, if we are going to get more people to swap over, then the electric prices need to reduce to make the finances more attractive, or gas higher, and that is a major political issue.
The government ran a grant programme from 2011 to 2022 called the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), which did increase take up but it has been replaced with a fixed sum contribution worth up to £7500. This replacement grant is not as generous as the previous system. So, until the cost of the installation comes down, then the majority of people, even if they want to swap over, can’t afford the systems.
I can only say that it’s been a good decision. I used a Swedish NIBE system because they had a history of understanding the technology. There are now new players in the market including UK made systems along with energy companies like Octopus. When considering a heating system for my own home, I wanted to have an efficient low carbon energy system to reduce the carbon footprint of my house on the basis that if I am going to advise people to develop greener buildings, then it’s better to be consistent and do this first on my own property!
In the short-term, heat pumps are still going to cost more: they will suit some houses and not others – particularly older properties requiring greater insulation. In the medium term, the cost of units will come down and central government will need to do more to encourage their installation through grants or discounts.
Clever design needs to do more to hide them, too. The Europeans are ahead in designing them into their houses rather than bolting them to the outside with no aesthetic considerations. Architects should be looking to lead on how to incorporate them in all buildings and houses.
It’s the future…it really is…but I suspect still a slow burn.
Neil Turner, Director, Howarth Litchfield can be contacted on 0191 384 9470 or email n.turner@hlpuk.com
www.howarthlitchfield.com