So in March 2019 the government declared that fossil fuel heating such as gas boilers, could be banned in all new homes built after 2025, this is part of the government’s efforts to reduce carbon dioxide and if left unchecked, humans and nature will experience catastrophic warming, with worsening droughts, greater sea level rise and mass extinction of species.
So on May 20th the the government said announced homeowners can apply for a government grant of £5,000 to replace their gas boilers with heat pumps.
The UK is the biggest boiler market in Europe with 85% of all the heating systems operating are gas boilers and about 1.5m million gas boilers are being installed each year.
Only 1% of heating systems in the UK are supplied by heat pumps, with air source heat pumps being considerably more common.
How to apply for the Government Grant of £5,000 off a new Heat Pump?
In 2021 the government announced the boiler upgrade scheme to help reduce the cost of more environmentally-friendly heating systems. The government grants will be available to existing homes and non-domestic buildings in England and Wales.
The grants can be used for the following heat pump systems up to 45Kw, Air source heat pumps, Water source heat pumps and Ground source heat pumps. You can also apply for the grant towards a biomass boiler if you live in a rural area.
The use of heat pumps, both air source and ground source for hot water and household consumption is well established in many other countries such as Central Europe, the United States and Canada. The UK has been lagging behind in growing this market however, Delta-ee foresees the UK heat pump market doubling in size by 2025.
Most people know at least something about the benefits of heat pumps both in terms of their pockets and for the environment. Thanks to government measures and positive trends the penetration of heat pumps in the UK heating market is very likely to increase significantly during the following years.
What will the Government Grant of £5,000 pay for?
The government is providing £5,000 for households to install air source heat pumps (ASHPs) which would cover around 70% of the cost.
Can I apply for the £5,000?
First, your property must have an eligible Energy Performance Certificate issued in the last 10 years, and the certificate must have no outstanding recommendations to install loft or cavity wall insulation.
The government scheme will not be available if you live in social housing or a new-build property.
Private rented accommodation is also eligible but the decision has to be taken by the landlord.
Go to the Government website to check if you may be eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
How does a heat pump work and how much room does it take up
A heat pump is an electrically powered device that sits outside, it absorbs heat from the air, ground or water around a building, depending on what type of heat pump system you choose. By extracting energy from the air, water or ground to heat and provide your home with heating and hot water.
A air source air pump is a box of about 1m x 1m that needs to stand outside your property.
A ground source heat pump needs much more space outside your property. A bore hole as deep as 100m, or a horizontal system dug into the ground over a large area.
From 2040 it is estimated that over 50% of UK homes will be heated by heat pumps. Right now heat pumps are currently used in a few hundred thousand of the UK’s homes, and they’re largely unknown to the public.
My boiler’s packed up, shall I just install a heat pump?
Boilers are not banned yet, so if your boiler has packed up, you can still get it repaired by a boiler repair engineer.
However if your boiler is old, it makes no sense to just keep repairing it so if your property qualifies for the £5,000 grant, its a no-brainer to install a heat pump.