PHAM NEWS | SEPTEMBER 2025 Renewable Energy


Getting to yes in sustainable heating


Darran Smith from Alpha examines a variety of low carbon heating solutions for homes, arguing that ‘hard to heat’ properties don’t have to be ‘hard to treat’.


T


he UK is home to some of the most diverse and


oldest housing stock in Europe. And while that should be celebrated, it does pose a challenge when it comes to ensuring consistent sustainable heating across the stock. ‘Hard to heat’ homes are diffi cult to upgrade and retrofi t with the latest heating innovations. The factors


contributing to this ‘hard to heat’ status can


include solid walls which make adding internal wall insulation diffi cult. They might have weaker building fabric which makes retaining heat harder in the cold. Building restrictions due to heritage or listed status can impact what installers and homeowners can do. And we can’t forget the limited energy options if the home is in an isolated location.


Hard to heat


There are more of these homes than you think. According to government estimates, millions of UK homes fall into the hard to heat category. 2.3 million have hard-to-treat lofts. 1.3 million have problematic cavity walls and 7.7 million have solid walls. It may sound like too much hassle, but when the UK government has set targets of reaching carbon net zero by 2050, we need to have answers for these homes. With 96% of domestic emissions coming from space heating and hot water, shifting all properties to more sustainable, lower-carbon options is vital.


Air source heat pumps are positioned as the answer to this challenge. They’re a far more effi cient and sustainable heating solution. However, ask the public and you’d receive a mixed response on their perceived benefi ts.


Darran Smith Technical manager at Alpha


There is the idea that heat pumps aren’t suitable for the hard to heat home. It comes down to heat demand and how much is needed to warm the home. While heat pumps can be confi gured to meet any level of heat demand, multiple heat pumps


might be needed to meet demand and radiators resized for an increased output.


Flexible solution Hybrid systems are gaining traction because of their fl exibility and adaptability to diff erent home requirements. In short, a hybrid system is composed of a heat pump installed outside and a linked combi boiler inside. Linking the heat sources is a smart controller which automatically chooses the source based on the cheapest tariff available. As such, it can eff ectively reduce gas consumption by up to 60%. The reason hybrids are ideal for the hard to heat home is down to their fl exibility. They don’t require any modifi cation to the home, whether that’s adding a hot water tank or changing radiators. There’s also the benefi t of knowing the combi boiler is there to provide hot water on demand and boost the heating in colder months. The overall impact on the home is also minimised.


For homes that are


off -grid, hybrid systems can be confi gured to work with LPG and natural gas. It’s another way in which you can start to move these homes into more sustainable heating, setting them up for success, after even more eff ective methods are made available in the future.


What’s becoming clear is the need for heating engineers to fully understand all the options


Updating the heating Fabric fi rst is the best approach when looking at improving a home’s heating performance. But as hard to heat homes often come with diffi culty in updating that fabric, installers need to have access to a wide range of heating solutions for each home.


in the sustainable heating landscape. Having the knowledge of the solutions – whether that’s simply a new, more effi cient combi boiler, a hybrid system or a full-blown heat pump – will mean they’re better armed when dealing with hard to heat homes. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/925/39


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Airfield Industrial Estate, Hixon, Staffordshire ST18 0PF t. 01889 272180 e. sales@intatec.co.uk www.intatec.co.uk


Proud to be a leading British Brand


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