, which promise to cut carbon emissions and energy bills in homes, still face “myths and misinformation” according to specialists. Despite a £7,500 Government incentive, the expense remains an obstacle for many, and those living in larger, older homes may worry about everything from installation to the system’s efficiency.
However, authorities and homeowners argue that heat pumps, which are electric devices that harness environmental warmth from the air or earth for heating and tap water, can indeed succeed, outperforming even conventional gas boilers in some cases. Retired GP Richard Smithson who lives with his wife in a six-bedroom Edwardian semi in North Tyneside, ditched their gas system two and a half years aiming to ‘reduce our carbon footprint and also to try and act as a pioneer, an example to other people that it can be done’.
Their property was already outfitted with double glazing. However, after using a then-£5,000 government subsidy, they spent £11,000, making the house more eco-friendly with underfloor insulation, upgraded radiators, and a zoned heating network. Mr Smithson admitted he was “pleasantly surprised” by how smooth the two-week installation process went, noting: “This house was never that warm with the gas boiler, I’d say it was warmer now with the heat pump.”
Property owners are being encouraged to keep their central heating operating constantly, utilising the building’s structure to retain heat, minimising loss and maximising the efficiency of their heat pump. This strategy works especially well for Mr Smithson who benefits from lower overnight energy rates due to a variable tariff, which he uses to charge his electric vehicle.
Homeowners with larger properties have said their heat pump is more efficient at warming the home (Image: Getty)
He pointed out that his electric bills are now below what they used to fork out for gas. He also mentioned the common query about return on investment: “Some people say ‘how long is it before you get your money back?'”
“That’s irrelevant, if you’re a retiring professional who’s fairly well-off, which you will be if you live in this kind of house, and you get a big lump sum, do you spend it on a round-the-world cruise or do you spend it on a heat pump. To me there’s only one answer get a heat pump.”
Nick Barr, who is currently refurbishing a spacious Edwardian home in south London, was initially sceptical about the capability of a heat pump to adequately heat a large, older property. However, his concerns were put to rest by an engineer who expertly tailored the heating system design inclusive of radiators, pipes, and energy conservation amendments.
“I wasn’t sure a heat pump could work on such a big or old house”, he said. Nick describes his heat pump as efficient, “elegant” and incredibly silent, further stating: “It’s not cheap, but if you’re putting something in new or if you’ve got to replace a system, it does make sense.”
But he also emphasised the importance of understanding your home’s thermal requirements, saying: “The number one thing is to get a heat-loss calculation assessment for the building. That allows you to make the right, informed decisions going forward.”
Heat pump installations can vary depending on the size of your property (Image: Getty)
Andy Balaam, a software engineer, decided on a heat pump as the eco-friendly solution for his family’s detached, four-bedroom Victorian home in Surrey back in 2021, seeking to reduce its environmental footprint. Describing the installation process as “surprisingly okay”, Andy highlighted the necessity for a dependable company that was willing to return and fine-tune the system within the initial weeks for optimal performance.
Andy voiced his concerns: “I was worried whether it was going to make the house warm, I was worried it was going to cost a lot of money and worried if it was going to be reliable,” Despite conceding that the heat pump is “not attractive and it’s noisy”, he positioned it discreetly at the side of his residence and Dr Balaam confirmed its efficiency, saying: “It absolutely warms our house effectively, it’s much nicer than it was before.”
Leah Robson, the managing director of Your Energy Your Way, the installation firm used by Dr Balaam, specialises in advising clients whose properties are challenging to heat with heat pumps. She revealed that the comfort provided by such systems often takes customers by surprise, noting: “People are genuinely concerned, often they’re struggling to heat their home as it is,” and added, “And when you turn up and say, ‘yes, you can have a heat pump and yes, you will be able to run it all day and it won’t cost you any more to run than your gas boiler’, people are understandably a little bit sceptical.”
She engages with clients, discussing the experience of using a heat pump and performs assessments for heat loss and easily fixable draughts. She acknowledges that the installations her company undertakes are “not cheap projects”, and admits “sometimes it’s just not the right thing but, typically, even in a solid wall house, if it’s got double glazing and reasonable loft insulation we can fit a heat pump”.
Supporting her claims, a pilot scheme by the Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) revealed that heat pumps could be effectively fitted in various home types. Of the 742 dwellings equipped with heat pumps during the initiative, 8% were built pre-1919, mostly detached or semi-detached, despite the “more challenging” nature of fitting older properties due to project limitations.
Daniel Logue of ESC observed that the age and style of a house had no significant effect on heat pump efficiency. He stated: “If a trained installer says that your house could have a heat pump, and installs it correctly, it should perform well regardless of the type or age,”.
Meanwhile, David Cowdrey, interim chief executive at The MCS Foundation which certifies domestic renewable energy products, commented on the broader issue: “There is a lack of public information about heat pumps, leading to a proliferation of myths and misinformation about how and where they work.”
He implored the Government to spearhead a public information campaign to debunk myths and promote the adoption of heat pumps in all types of properties.