Consumer demand for low carbon energy systems has significantly increased over the past few years due to awareness of the climate emergency and the carbon emissions fossil fuels generate. In the past, heat pumps (air source, ground source and water source) have not been considered low carbon options as they rely on electricity, the majority having being – until recently – generated from fossil fuels.

However, in the third quarter of 2019, the UK’s wind farms, solar panels, biomass and hydro plants (ie renewable energy) generated more electricity than the combined output from power stations fired by coal, oil and gas (ie fossil fuels) and is set to increase even further this year. As the UK government plans to ban gas boilers in new residential homes by 2025, what are some of the alternative, low carbon heating systems available?

The latest Ofgem figures show that there has been over 54,000 heat pump installations across the UK but yet the technology is not yet widely understood. Under the Government’s Green Plan there is the target to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028. Included in the plan is a commitment to making the UK’s homes, schools and hospitals greener, warmer and more energy efficient, whilst creating 50,000 jobs by 2030.

The Government have added a 1 year extension to the Green Homes Grant which will now close in March 2022, aligning with the end of the RHI. The government have also brought forward the date for no gas in new builds to 2023.