PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2026 4 News Review Survey


highlights consumer ignorance


New heating prototype promises retrofi t solution


A new heating system that could provide a solution for the successful retrofit of renewable energy heating to existing older housing stock has been announced as one of the fi nalists in the Manchester Innovation Prize project for 2026. EnergyWall essentially applies


radiant heating to the outside of hard-to-heat homes. The heat is generated by a heat pump and warms the external walls of the home, providing radiant heat to warm the interior and using the thermal mass of the walls to act as an effi cient heat store. The project has been led by AI firm Underheat, while Alpha Heating has provided its Magis M heat pump to deliver the heat. The prototype system has recently completed initial testing in Energy House 1 at the University of Salford. The design of the system means


that the fl ow temperature from the heat pump can be as low as 28°C to produce the required heating eff ect. This was one of the reasons that the Alpha product was selected, as it can provide fl ow temperatures of between 5°C and 65°C . Because the heat is being applied


to the external walls, there are no cold thermal bridges and the issue of problematic internal condensation is removed. It is hoped that EnergyWall therefore has the


CMR:Layout 1 17/08/2016 10:21 Page 1


potential to provide an effective retrofi t solution for Britain’s older solid wall building types. Initial tests suggest that this


technology could reduce heating bills by over 50%, making it an attractive option for improving public sector housing and addressing the issue of fuel poverty.


Funding reward Evidence from recent testing of the prototype installation will be used as part of the submission for the Manchester Innovation Prize, the results of which are due to be announced later this year. The successful technology will receive funding for further development. Dan Wilden, national renewables


manager at Alpha, comments: “Given the sheer number of older solid wall properties in the UK, this application of heat pump technology is hugely exciting. “Retrofi tting energy effi ciency has always been problematic, but this solution solves the majority of issues immediately. Further development of the technology may also see EnergyWall providing equally effi cient cooling, using the heat pump in cooling rather than heating mode, which would open equally exciting opportunities to address the growing issue of overheating in inner city housing stock.”


New research from British Gas reveals that almost six in ten householders (59%) admit they only think about their boiler when something goes wrong – and if it did pack in, one third (33%) wouldn’t know how to restart it. Nearly half (47%) wouldn’t feel confi dent tackling a leaking pipe either.


The boiler confusion is part of a much bigger picture. The same poll of 2,000 adults also suggests that most Brits are baffl ed by their own homes and struggle with some basic tasks. Almost one in fi ve (19%) say they wouldn’t know how to bleed a radiator, while 15% couldn’t confi dently point out where their gas or electricity meter is. A further


10% don’t know where their water tank is located. And when something breaks, it


doesn’t always get fi xed straight away. In fact, 82% admit they don’t tackle problems immediately, with almost one in ten (9%) waiting until the situation gets much worse. Trial and error is the nation’s default setting, with 73% attempting a fi x before calling for help. But that DIY spirit doesn’t


always go to plan – one in four (25%) admit they’ve accidentally made the issue worse. In a bid to avoid admitting defeat


and calling in the professionals, 15% turn to mum and dad – proving you’re never too old for a parental rescue mission. A quarter (25%) are willing to bring in a professional, while 13% admit they’re not even sure which jobs genuinely require expert skills in the fi rst place.


Future Homes Standard provides clarity


...continued from front cover Responding to the Future Homes Standard announcement, Henrik Hansen, MD of Vaillant Group UK and Ireland, says that the move marks a major step forward: “This is a hugely positive


step and a clear signal of the government’s commitment to the transformation towards low carbon heating solutions. New- build homes represent a critical opportunity to deliver meaningful progress at pace, and this announcement rightly focuses on that potential. “Most importantly, this update


gives the entire supply chain the certainty it needs to continue investing in skills, manufacturing and innovation. Heat pumps, combined with solar PV and smart technologies, will play a central role in helping households cut energy bills and reduce emissions.”


needs to be made to establish the methodology for assessing energy performance. “We support much-needed


updates to the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) and the concurrent introduction of its eventual successor, the Home Energy Model (HEM) in 2028, but we urge government to widen the scope of technologies which can be modelled within the calculation methodologies, to accelerate their adoption.” Jeff House, director of external


Peter Spurway, head of key


accounts & strategic partnerships at Viessmann, says that bringing together solar, heat pumps, battery storage, mechanical ventilation with MVHR systems and EV charging into a seamless, effi cient ecosystem has the potential to unlock significant opportunities for installers, but adds that progress


affairs and policy at Baxi, also acknowledges that “there is still much to do behind the scenes” regarding HEM. “March 2028 will be the pivotal moment where change really happens in practice,” says House. “We look forward to continued collaboration between industry and government to help bring the new standards to life.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40