The association, accompanied by three of its manufacturing members – Kensa, Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions and Ideal Heating – and supported by the MCS Foundation, took working heat pumps to Westminster to bust myths and raise awareness of the vital technology and its role in decarbonising the UK’s heating.
The ‘Hear, See and Feel a Heat Pump’ event provided over 40 MPs, peers, councillors, policy officials and wider stakeholders the opportunity to see various heat pump types in action, hear from industry experts who were on hand to answer those important questions and feel how heat pumps provide reliable, efficient low carbon heat.
Charlotte Lee, Chief Executive of the HPA, said: “With only 100 days of the new Government being in place and many new MPs gracing Westminster, we felt it was important to raise awareness of heat pumps as a technology and provide an opportunity for MPs to see them in operation.
“With the proliferation of negative and questionable media stories about heat pumps over recent months, it was fantastic to be able to meet so many MPs and stakeholders and bust some myths through the provision of a hands-on experience.”
‘Scalable solution to heat decarbonisation’
Tomas Roberto, Public Affairs Executive at Kensa, said: “The event was a unique opportunity for MPs to see Kensa’s British-made ground source heat pumps up close and in operation firsthand. We’ve been delivering networked heat pumps, a proven, scalable solution to heat decarbonisation, for over a decade, and it was brilliant to share this technology with MPs and Lords and bust some heat pump myths.”
John Kellett, UK and Ireland Country Manager for Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions, said: “‘We were able to showcase our heat pump solutions through live demonstrations using our fully equipped mobile vehicle. We showcased both air-to-water heat pumps, which are ideal for retrofitting older properties but equally suitable for highly insulated new build, and our hybrid-ready system design to work with existing boiler systems.”
Elizabeth Wilkinson, Product Director at Ideal Heating said: “There was great engagement from a variety of stakeholders who were keen to see our products and hear about the investments we are making in UK manufacturing and installer training, as well as discussing the policy enablers needed to accelerate the heat pump market.”
David Cowdrey, Acting Chief Executive of the MCS Foundation, added: “It has been very encouraging to see positive engagement from so many MPs, Peers, and policymakers who want to see heat pump deployment accelerated.
“Heat pumps are the only viable solution for decarbonising home heating at scale, and we need clear and consistent policy to support installers and households as we make the transition away from fossil fuels. This needs to be accompanied by a sustained public awareness campaign and standards to counter heat pump myths and give everyone confidence in the technology.”
Image credit: Heat Pump Association