BOILERS, PUMPS & VALVES


Around 17% of all UK carbon emissions currently come from heating our homes, and the government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy states that natural gas boilers should be banned


from 2035 in order to help the UK meet its Net Zero goals by 2050. Johan du Plessis, founder and CEO of tepeo, looks into the benefits of the company’s Zero Emission Boiler (ZEB), and how this provides a low-carbon alternative to your regular gas or oil boiler


TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR ENERGY AND CARBON USAGE WITH A ZERO EMISSION BOILER (ZEB)


A


lthough they will undoubtedly form an essential part of our transition to a Net Zero


economy, heat pumps but have come under scrutiny in recent months. Quite simply, they are not appropriate for every household. In fact some studies have shown that up to 54% of the existing housing stock in the UK may not be suitable for heat-pump-only systems because of their size, the planning conditions required, and the necessary low flow temperatures for optimum efficiency. Despite this, the government is encouraging UK


homeowners to spend thousands on renovations to meet the necessary requirements for full efficiency. This can include time-consuming and disruptive re-plumbing as well as the installation of new radiators, new hot water cylinders and additional insulation.


Johan du Plessis


proportion of the population and so, unsurprisingly, many feel they’re being punished for wanting to make a difference to the planet. The UK government’s approach to


decarbonisation must therefore be more inclusive, providing all relevant low-carbon domestic heating technologies – such as tepeo’s Zero Emission Boiler (ZEB) – with the same access to government initiatives. In turn, we’ll be able to assess each household on


a case-by-case basis and provide the most cost- effective and sustainable solution for every home.


WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE ZEB? The ZEB is a low-carbon alternative to your regular gas or oil boiler. Powered by electricity, it charges at the cheapest and greenest times of the day, storing energy like a thermal battery and then releasing it when your thermostat calls for it. As it is controlled from your smartphone, it allows you to take charge of your energy and


to two or three bedrooms.


• You have a ‘wet’ heating system (radiators or underfloor heating) and a hot water tank.


• You have space for the ZEB on an accessible, solid and level surface – typically on the ground floor.


SWITCHING TO LOW-CARBON HEATING What is the boiler upgrade scheme? And how can the new boilers improve it? The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a UK


Government initiative that launched in Spring 2022 to encourage homeowners to switch to low-carbon heating systems in place of existing gas or oil boilers, by offering grants. However, it was found earlier this year that only a


third of the huge £450-million budget proposed had been used, raising many questions around the lack of support it has received thus far. From our point of view, it’s simply because the


grant is limited to biomass boilers and heat pumps, but many other fantastic technologies exist that


“The ZEB is a low-carbon alternative to your regular gas or


oil boiler. Powered by electricity, it charges at the cheapest and greenest times of the day, storing energy like a thermal battery and then releasing it when your thermostat calls for it”


carbon usage as well as the resulting costs. It’s also a plug-n-play product, meaning that installation typically only takes a day and it doesn’t require any significant changes to your heating system. The boiler offers a level of both flexibility and efficiency superior to fossil-fuel-burning boilers,


As a result, heat pumps cost an average of


£13,000 – despite grants, VAT exemption and various other private schemes to encourage their adoption. Many have also reported higher than expected running costs, typically caused when not installed by an experienced expert or maintained appropriately. Planning for a heat pump retrofit and starting


the project is also time-consuming, meaning that emergency boiler replacements are likely to result in another gas boiler being installed. This expense is entirely unrealistic for a huge


www.essmag.co.uk


saving users between 2.5 and 3 tonnes of CO2 a year – the equivalent of burning 15,000- 18,000km worth of diesel in a car. We are totally transparent that, as it stands,


this is not the appropriate solution for everyone. But, this will continue to change as we develop as a business, with new heating solutions on their way in the coming years. For now, the requirements for the ZEB are:


• Your home uses between 3,000-12,000kWh of energy per year for heating and hot water. You can find an estimate on your energy bill, but this would usually be a home with up


could be included. By expanding the scheme to other technologies, such as the ZEB, we can boost those numbers up and ensure that the whole country can have low-carbon heating. Without enough options available to


consumers, the BUS scheme can’t have the transformative effect it was set out for, and homeowners will have to continue to spend thousands to meet the requirements necessary for heat pumps to function properly.


GO LOW-CARBON So, if your boiler breaks, it will be up to every homeowner to install a low-carbon alternative, rather than a new gas or oil boiler. It simply makes sense to get into the habit now!


tepeo www.tepeo.com


ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Summer 2023 35


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