Grants of up to £5,000 for replacing old gas boilers with low-carbon heating systems will be available from April this year. The one-off heat pump grant is part of a government bid to encourage homeowners to install cleaner heating solutions in their home. Around 90,000 new heat pumps will be installed over the next three years thanks to the £450 million scheme government heat pump grants scheme.
It is hoped that heat pump systems and other cleaner alternatives, which are currently quite expensive to install, will cost the same as a gas boiler by 2030. The Government is aiming to work with the industry to lower the costs of installing a heat pump by 25 to 50% within the next three years. Currently, a heat pump typically costs between £6,000 up to £18,000 to install, depending on the size of the property.
The free heat pump grants are part of a wider scheme to reduce use of fossil fuels and make all home heating systems low carbon by 2035.
What is a heat pump and will it be a good fit for your home?
Air source heat pumps are placed outside a property and absorb heat from the outside air into a liquid refrigerant. This liquid is compressed to increase the temperature and then condensed to release heat, which is sent to a hot water cylinder inside the property.
Experts are in fact warning that heat pump systems may not be suitable for all homes. There has to be space for the heat pump to be installed outside. There must also be space inside for a hot water cylinder too.
In practice, heat pumps will only prove beneficial in homes that are already well insulated and energy-efficient. This could be problematic in the UK, which has some of the least insulated homes in Europe. Homeowners whose property is not already energy efficient may actually face increased energy bills after installing a heat pump.
The government heat pump grants will be open to the majority of homeowners and landlords in England and Wales. But people living in social housing and new builds will not be eligible. The cash grant is to be used to help cover the cost of the pump and its installation, including any work done to your home to facilitate installation. In many cases, the installation of a heat pump system could require new radiators to ensure efficient heating. Homeowners will be expected to pay for any shortfall in the costs of the work.
The free heat pump grants will operate as a voucher scheme and homeowners can register to see if they could be eligible.
Heat pumps are not the only low-carbon heating alternatives and a range of innovative low carbon heating systems are being explored.
There has been no Government order to get rid of gas boilers yet so most homeowners will not need to consider a lower-emission system until their current boiler naturally needs replacing. But in the meantime, homeowners will benefit from seeking to make their home as well insulated and energy-efficient as it can be.
