Insidethis issue 3 MARCH 2025 VOLUME 63 ISSUE 2 Editor’s
Viewpoint by Chris Jones
Removing uncertainty
The latest report from the Climate Change Committee, the body tasked by the government to advise on how to achieve its legally binding 2050 net-zero target, may not have contained anything particularly revelatory, but the CCC has used the opportunity to further reiterate its belief that the electrifi cation of heating should be considered one of the primary ways to reduce the country’s carbon emissions. The more widespread adoption of heat pumps is viewed as being key to such a transition. Currently installed in just one per cent of UK homes, heat pumps would be used in around half of all homes by 2040 under the CCC’s pathway. This requires
the annual installation rate to rise from 60,000 in 2023 to nearly 450,000 by 2030 and around 1.5 million by 2035. By that year, the CCC suggests that all new and replacement heating systems would need to be low carbon. It is perhaps something of an understatement to say that a
number of today’s gas boiler installers remain sceptical as to the viability of persuading quite so many of their customers to commit to the installation of a heat pump. Some simply remain unconvinced about the performance of heat pump systems, while others are unwilling to invest the necessary time and eff ort needed to gain the new skills required to be able to fi t the technology with confi dence. Without the incentive of having those hard-won skills in high demand, it is perhaps understandable why there might be some reticence. The CCC’s projected fi gures might sound promising, but there’s no denying that heat pump sales currently fall way below that of gas boilers, and if the government is serious about achieving its low carbon ambitions, it needs to do more to ensure that such projections become reality. As others in the industry have said, uncertainty about government
policies and directives only serves to delay business investment and discourage installers from taking the necessary steps to retrain and learn new skills. Responding to the CCC’s call for a clear direction and policy framework would at least go some way to removing that uncertainty.
Special Features Heat
17 Pumps
Why hybrids could provide a viable solution for many UK homes, plus advice and guidance for installers
Regulars
04 News Review 11 Merchant News 11 Letters 12 Horror Show 12 People on the Move 14 Energy Matters 15 Gadgets & Tools 16 Training Update 26 Products in Action
35 Vans & Racking
36 Product News 37 Competition 38 Directory 38 Information Centre
Don’t forget to use our online reader enquiry service to quickly fi nd the web page you need
Some of the latest vans on the road 27
Accessible Bathrooms
Some of the key considerations when designing a bathroom for users with mobility issues
31
Ventilation & Heat Recovery
Why good ducting is crucial for effective ventilation, and advice on optimising air fl ow
Contributors Tamsin Lishman
Heat Pumps 18
Why ground source heat pumps have a big role to play in the government’s plans for decarbonisation
Look out for next month’s issue
Stuart Reynolds Accessible Bathrooms
27
How to meet the requirements of Part M compliance without busting the customer’s budget
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Managing Editor Chris Jones Assistant Editor Carol Hitchcock Consultant Publisher Chris Evans Southern Advertisement Manager Nathan Wood Production Paul Forster Design Consultant Tim Plummer
Nicola Rivers Ventilation & Heat Recovery
32
Managing condensation and preventing potential mould growth requires a multi-faceted approach
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