Heat pumps are not going anywhere, as both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are understood to be committed to installing the devices in thousands of homes across Britain.
But while many are concerned about the cost of installation and whether it’s even worth it, an energy expert has claimed that he “loves” his. The devices, pushed as part of Mr Sunak’s commitment to net zero, offer an electricity-based home heating alternative to gas boilers.
Writing for the Telegraph, energy journalist David Strahan said he has “no regrets” after having his installed. He wrote: “I installed one in early 2022, and I love it. It is quiet, economical to run and keeps the house toasty.
“In my experience, there is nothing not to like.”
He added: “Make no mistake; heat pumps are here to stay.”
For many, heat pumps are an unattractive option due to the substantial cost of installing one at a time of sky-high cost of living. Government subsidies are available, but they are not guaranteed to cover the entire installation charge.
Mr Strahan wrote: “When I installed my heat pump it cost £11,500, of which the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will pay back about £9,250 over seven years. The RHI has since been replaced by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which pays a lump sum to the installer.”
He added that “for all his backsliding on net zero,” the PM has “at least raised the heat pump subsidy to £7,500, and in some homes that would cover the entire installation cost.”
As for future running costs, the picture is less clear, with Mr Strahan conceding that in the year leading to December 2023, he paid £150 over the Ofgem cap for energy.
But he argued that in the future: “It’s a good bet that electricity prices will fall relative to gas as the proportion of cheap wind power keeps rising in the electricity mix.”
North Wales community nurse Gillian Woodward, 50, recently sung the praises of the devices to the Guardian, saying: “I’m overall paying less, the house is consistently warm and much greener.
“I absolutely love the system. The house is warmer to an actually incomparable degree.”
A thorn in the side of the heat pump rollout has long been the issue that many older homes in Britain were believed to be unsuitable for the devices due to a lack of sufficient insulation.
But the Government has recently changed its position on the matter.
“The Climate Change Committee has long claimed that 10 million homes are already well-enough insulated,” wrote Mr Strahan.
While carrying out insulation works beforehand remains the ideal option, innovation charity Nesta recently called for Brits to prioritise heat pump installation over insulation.
The charity said: “Insulating homes is generally a good thing – it saves energy, makes homes healthier and more comfortable, can ease pressure on the electricity grid – but it is not essential for switching homes to heat pumps. If the aim is to reduce carbon emissions as quickly as possible with a limited budget, then adopting heat pumps typically provides greater carbon savings per pound spent than insulation measures.”
Mr Strahan said that while the installation can be a “faff”, it is easy to see if your home is ready for one.
“The quick way to check if your home is ready is simply to turn the boiler’s flow temperature down to 50C and run it 24/7 (leave the room thermostats as before),” he said.
“If this keeps you warm enough during a cold snap then you are heat pump ready. You will probably also reduce your heating bill and emissions right away.”
