If the government actually want people to install heat pumps (I hope they do) they really need a lot more policy.
The current £7,500 grant sounds great, but when you look at British Gas’ installation estimates[1], it costs about £5,000 more than that on average to carry out an installation. That means even for customers who have to install a new heating system (i.e. their current boiler is broken beyond repair) it is still substantially cheaper to install a combi-boiler (less than half the price on average).
And that’s people who have to install a new system- if we want to move from fossil fuels we need people to replace working boilers with heat pumps.
Honestly, the government has a tonne of levers it can pull, but any serious plan needs to not rely on people making hard to afford decisions because they are environmentally justified. They beed to actually do something so that the relstive emissions of heating get reflected in the cost of systems and fuel.
Heat pump installation doesn’t have to be expensive through it is. Try looking up what it’ll cost you in Spain to install a split level airco that can handle heating as well. That’s an air/air heat pump. Or check what it’ll cost you to just buy the airco/heat pump. Then compare that to your country. There can be crazy differences in what they charge you.
Subsidies, the installers will know about it, they can just charge more.
No idea of a solution. But do know people are paying way more than they should.
If the government actually want people to install heat pumps (I hope they do) they really need a lot more policy.
The current £7,500 grant sounds great, but when you look at British Gas’ installation estimates[1], it costs about £5,000 more than that on average to carry out an installation. That means even for customers who have to install a new heating system (i.e. their current boiler is broken beyond repair) it is still substantially cheaper to install a combi-boiler (less than half the price on average).
And that’s people who have to install a new system- if we want to move from fossil fuels we need people to replace working boilers with heat pumps.
Honestly, the government has a tonne of levers it can pull, but any serious plan needs to not rely on people making hard to afford decisions because they are environmentally justified. They beed to actually do something so that the relstive emissions of heating get reflected in the cost of systems and fuel.
[1] https://www.britishgas.co.uk/heating/air-source-heat-pumps/carbon-cruncher.html
Heat pump installation doesn’t have to be expensive through it is. Try looking up what it’ll cost you in Spain to install a split level airco that can handle heating as well. That’s an air/air heat pump. Or check what it’ll cost you to just buy the airco/heat pump. Then compare that to your country. There can be crazy differences in what they charge you.
Subsidies, the installers will know about it, they can just charge more.
No idea of a solution. But do know people are paying way more than they should.
Yep. Needs to have both clearly cheaper up-front costs and longer-term costs paid by the property owner.