www.heatingandventilating.net


Low price guarantee to drive demand for heat pumps


British Gas has announced it will be offering the lowest priced heat pump installations to help more of its customers lower their emissions. The company will start prices from £2,999 per install but will match anything lower offered by another company for a MCS credited install.


H


eat pumps will play an essential part in the UK achieving its Net Zero goals by 2050 and British


Gas has so far installed over 2,300 heat pumps to date and completing the first install to benefit from the Government boiler upgrade scheme. The energy giant hopes this offer will help more people make the switch


and lower their emissions. The British Gas Net Zero Index released at the end of 2022 showed there is more uncertainty about low carbon heating compared to other energy efficiency products like insulation and solar panels. When homeowners were asked what they would replace their existing boiler with, 37% said a similar gas or oil-fired boiler and only 14% would choose a heat pump. Heat pump technology is widely recognised as one of the best immediate options for millions of off-grid, well-insulated homes, and is critical to keeping the UK on track to achieve Net Zero by 2050. Heat pumps are 350% efficient compared to the best boilers being 90-95%. Andrew Middleton, managing director of British Gas Net Zero says: “Heat pumps are an essential part of the UK’s journey towards a decarbonised future. We recognise that many households are being cautious with their spending in the current climate and want to do all we can to make this technology more affordable. “We are committed to working with governments, regulators and legislators


to ensure we have the right policies and frameworks in place to achieve this. Our engineers have installed over 8,000 electric car charging points, have installed over 2,300 heat pumps and are improving insulation and providing solar panels around the country each day.” Business and Energy Minister Lord Callanan said: “It is fantastic that homeowners


across England and Wales will benefit from the clean, efficient energy that heat pumps deliver and at a much more competitive price than they would have been sold for just a few years ago, thanks to initiatives like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and British Gas’s new offer. “We know that heat pumps are proven to be an excellent, reliable technology which help consumers to move away from fluctuating gas prices. With offers like this one, alongside government incentives such as slashing VAT on heat pump installation to zero, government and industry can work together in helping more homeowners to see these benefits in 2023 and beyond”. The offer applies to a standard air source heat pump up to 7Kw and a standard cylinder with a capacity up to 200L, along with mechanical and electrical installation. British Gas will further offer a five year warranty after installation. More information: https://www.britishgas.co.uk/home-services/boilers-and- heating/air-source-heat-pumps.html


HEAT PUMPS


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How to look after your plumbing and heating this winter


he harsher and colder weather we face during the winter can cause our plumbing and heating systems some issues, which isn’t ideal as this is usually the time we rely on it most throughout the year.


Below we have outlined some steps you can take to help prepare your


home for the winter months and our advice to ensure you know what to do if you face a plumbing emergency. Plumbing and heating systems that are well maintained are less likely


to have any problems when the temperatures drop. If you regularly service your appliances and become familiar with your plumbing system, then any potential problems can be found and dealt with before they become more serious. You should be checking your pipes for any leaks, cracks or damage on a regular basis and removing any debris from drains. As part of this, locating your internal stop tap is important so that you


can turn off your water supply if there is an emergency. These are usually located under the kitchen sink in domestic properties, and you should easily be able to turn the stop tap on and off should you ever need to. During the colder months the risk of freezing pipes is increased. You should check the pipes inside your home are lagged and protected before the cold weather hits. By insulating your pipework, you can help to prevent pipes from freezing and causing further issues. If you do find yourself facing a frozen pipe you should turn off your water using the stop tap and slowly thaw the pipe using hot water or hot air and open the affected tap to allow the melted water to escape. If a pipe bursts during the winter, then you need to again, turn off the


water supply, turn on all your taps and try to minimise the damage by soaking up the water with towels/bowls. In this instance, you’ll need to call out a plumber. Plumbers are in high demand during the winter and colder weather and


you might need to find someone at short notice, but it is important to make sure that you hire someone who is reputable and qualified. Our advice for finding yourself a professional plumber is:


¡ Look for a member of a trade association, such as APHC, who will verify a trader’s qualifications and experience. ¡ Check the trader’s credentials. Are they registered with Gas Safe? Do they have the right insurance? It is worth taking the time to check any memberships or insurance documents are up to date. ¡ Before confirming a call-out check how much you will be charged. In an emergency a reputable trader will provide a cost for the call-out and rates for on-going time spent on the job. Customers should never feel pressurised into accepting work without a full explanation. ¡ Using an online directory is one of the best ways to find a registered plumber. All of APHC’s approved contractors are added to our online directory so you have one central place to find your chosen trader from any location in the UK or Wales. Use APHC’s search facility at www. aphc.


co.uk/find-an-aphc-member/ to find a qualified and reliable plumbing and heating engineer local to you.


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