DOMESTIC BOILERS
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Maximising boilers in a renewable world
The race towards Net Zero has introduced revolutionary technologies in the world of heating, with heat pumps reigning supreme. Yet not every household is ready or able to switch to renewables just yet. Darran Smith, technical manager at Alpha, explores how installers can help their customers as gas boiler users run more energy-efficient homes
T
he UK’s c.30 million buildings account for roughly 30% of our emissions – with heating responsible for a significant 23%. Tackling
this, the government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy (2021) outlined a roadmap for phasing out new natural gas boilers by 2035, aiming for a low-carbon heating landscape by 2050 . Within this strategy was the genesis of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, having acknowledged heat pumps
as a successful solution in other countries. Almost two years on, the £5,000 grant is struggling to gain traction and the effectiveness of air source heat pumps is regularly debated within the media. Heat pumps may be the buzz word – and they’re undeniably at the forefront of government strategy – but the fact remains that they aren’t suitable for every household ‘now.’ This confronts us with a substantial interim period where homeowners
need guidance on how to make the most of their gas boilers. We recently commissioned research to find
out how the Great British public feels about transitioning to green heating. Although three quarters of those polled do care about the carbon footprint of their home, upgrading to low or zero carbon energy is out of reach due to cost of installation (for 70%), a lack of knowledge and understanding of related technologies (for 37%) and/or suitability or practicality for their property (for 36%). How then can we help the vast proportion of the UK population who have no choice but to continue with natural gas – yet want to live greener? This leads us to two main groups of homeowners: those needing to upgrade their old gas boilers; and those intending to work with their existing ones. In March of this year, the BEIS concluded a
consultation on improving boiler standards and efficiency. Its three key focus area were boiler efficiency, hydrogen-ready boilers and hybrids. For both groups of homeowners mentioned above,
32 September 2023
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