It’s coming up to a year since the launch of the Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme and figures released last Thursday shows that uptake has been slow to start.
The aim of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is to encourage us to install low-carbon heating systems such as heat pumps to help us achieve our national target of transitioning to a net zero economy by 2050. The scheme offers homeowners grants of £5,000 for an air-source heat pump and £6,000 for a ground-source heat pump.
With 30,000 Boiler Upgrade Scheme vouchers available until March 2023 (and another 30,000 for each of the following two years), official statistics last year showed that only 9,888 had been used. The amount paid in grants only amounted to £14.5m which is around 10% of the total pot available for the first year.
According to government figures, the South West and South East are leading the way when it comes to applications to the scheme but uptake in London and the rest of the country has been much slower so far.
Many people think that you need a house with a garden or a fully insulated property to switch to a low-carbon heat pump, but recent research from the Electrification of Heat demonstration project, funded by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has shown that all housing types – and ages – are in fact suitable for heat pumps.
From flats to semis and mid-terraces to early 20th-century detached homes, the project successfully installed heat pumps in every type and age of property targeted. The results busted the myth that heat pumps aren’t suitable for all property types, although the project did find that there were more challenges when designing and installing heat pump systems for homes built pre-1945. However, despite the challenges, 163 heat pumps were successfully installed in these older pre-1945 properties, showing that these challenges can be overcome.
A heat pump uses simple technology, extracting heat from the outside air or ground and transferring it inside your home. A compressor inside the device uses electricity to increase the temperature of the heat extracted from the outside to warm your home.
Jason Lindfield, co-founder of renewable energy installer, OHM Energy, gave London Daily News further insight on the situation.
“Looking at the figures from last year, the uptake has so far been slower than most people involved in the heat pump industry would have hoped. There are good reasons to believe that interest in heat pumps remains strong and there is a substantial amount of money left in the pot for homeowners to use.”
To reach net zero by 2050, the UK government wants 600,000 heat pumps installed per year by 2028, compared to about 40,000 in 2021.
“The government has tried to made the process as simple as possible to encourage uptake. An established heat pump installer can apply for your grant for you and then deduct it from your total installation bill. It is a fantastic opportunity to lower your carbon footprint with renewable energy at a much lower cost.”
To learn more about the Boiler Upgrade scheme, contact OHM Energy
Featured Photo by KWON JUNHO on Unsplash
