Richard Halsey, innovation director at Energy Systems Catapult, said: “The findings of the Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project are clear, when designed and installed well, heat pumps can be an effective low carbon heating solution, providing good consumer outcomes regardless of the property type or age.
“It is time to do away with the idea that they do not work in UK homes, this is simply untrue.”
Addressing barriers to a mass rollout
The project identified four main challenges to the widespread adoption of heat pumps:
- Perceived disruption during installation: More complex than gas boilers, heat pump installations require innovative solutions to minimise household disruption.
- Hard-to-decarbonise homes: Certain properties, such as mid-terraces and pre-1919 buildings, pose installation challenges, but the project showed these are surmountable.
- Space and noise concerns: Current planning rules, like the ‘one metre rule,’ hinder installations without addressing actual noise outputs, especially in dense areas.
- Slow grid connection times: Delays in connecting heat pumps to electricity networks can discourage uptake.
Richard Halsey continued: “The barriers to installing a heat pump are not insurmountable. The Project points to a need for a bold reimagining of home heating market design to make it easier for consumers to make the switch to low carbon heating solutions.
“Barriers such as the ‘one metre rule’ are not based on tangible noise outputs and so do little else but discourage some homeowners from making the switch to a heat pump.
“Innovation in heat pump technology has come a long way over the last decade. Heat pumps are more efficient than they’ve ever been, they’re reliable, they work in cold weather and are suitable for most housing types and ages. Where barriers remain, innovation can help tear these down to help make solutions accessible, desirable, and affordable.”
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