PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2025 14 Your Views Star letter


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The penalty for going electric


I write with reference to the front page article in the March issue where Fiona Hodgson is quoted as saying “government policy tells people to transition to electric heating, yet energy pricing actively discourages them from doing so.” It’s not just the price of electric that should discourage anyone, it’s the fact that you will end up with a lower EPC rating. This recently happened to my son who bought some land with planning permission for a holiday let. He stripped the building down and rebuilt it to the same design, and fully insulated it in the process. It was fully double glazed and everything done to current building regs. Although we are both Gas Safe engineers


we decided to go for a 6kW electric boiler supplying underfl oor heating, and a cylinder with twin immersion heaters. We could have fi tted a gas combi, but went electric thinking of the future. The result of all this is that the building just scraped into band E for the EPC. This was entirely due to the electric boiler and cylinder. Had he gone for a gas combi he would have got band B. As we are both landlords, we can’t help wondering how will landlords ever be able to attain a minimum band ‘C’ unless they fi t a gas boiler? As things are at the moment, who in their right mind would go electric? Whilst I’m on a rant... we’ve spent 25


years or so removing hot water cylinders and all the associated kit that goes with them to be replaced by one unit, a combi. Now with a heat pump they all have to go back, but where? The space has gone or is used for something else. Thankfully, after over 45 years I’m retiring from an industry that doesn’t have a clue where it’s going. Heaven help the young guys coming up.


Phil Troszok Via email


Digital nightmare


Could boiler manufacturers please stop trying to digitise installers, because their collection of untested apps and websites is a nightmare to navigate, and almost impossible to use! Many no longer provide gas


commissioning sheets, so now we’re supposed to become their online guinea pigs, endlessly testing their rubbish portal websites and buggy apps. PHAM will not have space for me


to complain here properly about the infantile layout of the user interfaces of the web pages, where you have to scroll down endlessly and run through dozens of mostly-empty menus to reveal information that could easily have fi tted onto a single screen. As with all modern businesses, they


are keen to slim down their staff via automation, but forcing us installers to debug their half-baked digital processes is supremely annoying.


George Robinson Via email


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EnergyMatters BUS numbers refl ect rising demand


The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) has reported a total of 72,263 applications for vouchers by the end of February 2025, with 97% for grants towards air source heat pump installations. The total number of applications in


February 2025 across all technology types saw a 3% decrease on the previous month, partly refl ecting the fewer working days in February. However, it is 54% higher than the same month in 2024. February 2025 had the third highest number of applications since the scheme began. There was a total of 62,031 vouchers


issued in the month, which represents a 3% increase on January, and February volumes were 69% higher than the same month in the previous year (3,148 in February 2025 compared to 1,868 in February 2024). As the BUS progresses, industry leaders


continue to stress the importance of continued government support and call for further investment in training and consumer education.


Scotland delays


heating bill The Scottish government has announced an indefi nite delay to the Heat in Buildings Bill, a proposal that would have mandated homeowners to switch to greener heating systems soon after purchasing a property. Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin informed Members of the Scottish Parliament that the bill would not be introduced in its current form due to concerns that it could exacerbate fuel poverty. Originally proposed during the


SNP’s power share with the Scottish


Commenting on the fi gures, Gav Murray,


Hive Heating director at Centrica New Business Net Zero, says: “The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has helped drive adoption levels of heat pump technology across the UK. The government must continue to provide funding and additional incentives to accelerate the rate at which homeowners switch to the green technology. Collaborating with industry stakeholders will be central to this and help ensure the workforce is in place to deliver on the heat pump revolution.” ◼ phamnews.co.uk/425/18


Greens, the legislation was expected to be introduced to Parliament in November 2024, with plans to ban polluting heating systems by 2045. In November 2023, a consultation


on the bill was initiated, but Gillian Martin explained that further revisions are necessary to ensure the legislation eff ectively balances carbon reduction with support for those in fuel poverty. She did not provide a timeline for when the revised bill would be presented. The Association for Decentralised Energy


(ADE) has criticised the decision, warning it undermines eff orts to cut energy bills and ignores solutions like harnessing wasted heat from renewables through heat networks.


More funding for heat networks


The Heat Network Effi ciency Scheme (HNES) has allocated over £19.5m to fund improvements in 63 heat networks across England and Wales, marking the largest funding round since the scheme’s inception in 2023. This funding aims to enhance heating effi ciency, reliability and aff ordability for nearly 8,000 residents, including those in low-income households, educational institutions and NHS facilities. The recent investment is expected to


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signifi cantly reduce carbon emissions associated with space heating and will enable capital works to directly improve existing heat networks. Local councils are set to receive


signifi cant funding for various projects. Wolverhampton City Council will receive £8m to improve heating for over 1,000 residents at the Heath Town estate. The London Borough of Camden is set to receive £278,000 to upgrade a 50-year-old heat network in Belsize Court, which has been operating at suboptimal levels and currently provides tenants with lukewarm


water. Portsmouth City Council will receive £4.5 million for enhancements to the Charles Dickens heat network, serving over 500 residents. Housing


associations will also benefi t from the funding. Solihull Community Housing is set to receive


£1.6m for improvements across three heat networks serving eight high-rise buildings. This funding will support modifi cations, repairs, and the installation of more effi cient systems for 570 residents. Private sector companies are also involved,


with New Islington Utilities receiving over £1m for effi ciency upgrades to residential heat networks in Manchester and Bristol. These projects aim to enhance overall network performance based on previous optimisation studies. The HNES has already helped over 51,000


residents and is projected to save 200,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over the next four decades, showcasing its potential for signifi cant environmental and community benefi ts. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/425/19


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