The UK government has made hundreds of millions of pounds more funding available for grants to install eco-friendly heat pumps as part of its Warm Homes Plan.
Red tape around residential heat pump installations has also been cut, with planning permission no longer required to install the devices and a rule requiring them to be at least 1 meter from property boundaries also axed.
The UK government estimates that up to 300,000 homes will benefit from money-saving, eco-friendly home upgrades over the next year. Housing associations will also be able to make energy efficiency improvements to properties they manage thanks to £1 billion of private funding guaranteed by the National Wealth Fund.
Heat pumps are up to five times more efficient than gas boilers and can generate 3 to 4 units of heat energy per single unit of electrical energy used. They also produce roughly 50% less emissions than conventional gas boilers.
Reaction to the news from industry stakeholders, from energy companies, heating installers, and charities, has been positive.
“This gives a clear signal to the public and industry that the government is committed to supporting the transition to low carbon heating,” said Madeleine Gabriel, Director of Sustainable Future at Nesta, a UK charity focusing on innovations for social good.
“Heat pumps are proven to be an efficient and reliable technology, and removing the ‘1-metre rule’ will make it easier for people to choose a low carbon future for their homes.”
