Tag: heat and buildings strategy

Can heat pumps solve fuel poverty?

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
house losing heat

 

One of the weaknesses of the government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy is that the grants available for heat pumps are most likely to be taken up by better-off households, and that fuel poor households are at risk of missing out.  Suddenly, fuel poverty is in the news, and the internet is full of self-proclaimed experts who claim that heat pumps are no good for the fuel poor.

Let us never forget that our reliance on gas for heating homes is one of the main reasons why fuel poverty is on the increase.  Even the most efficient gas boilers are only 95% efficient, whereas heat pumps are at least 300% efficient.  Gas boilers are frequently over-sized, and incorrectly designed to run at high temperatures, which means they operate at much less than 95% efficiency.  Gas is part of the problem.

Fuel poverty is a complex social issue.  It is caused by poor efficiency of buildings and appliances; lack of understanding of how to use appliances efficiently; low income; all compounded by the fact that the fuel poor are most likely to be on the worst tariffs and use the worst payment methods.   People with cold and damp related medical conditions are at greater risk of fuel poverty.

There is no magic bullet to solve fuel poverty.

Effective fuel poverty interventions include some or all of the following:

  • Improving the thermal efficiency of a home;
  • More efficient heating appliances;
  • Income maximisation;
  • Supporting fuel poor households to find the cheapest payment methods and tariffs, which is difficult in a time of price volatility.

Successive governments have failed to implement strategies that achieve a holistic approach to solving fuel poverty.  Heat pumps are right for some homes and not right for others.  What fuel poor households need is a whole-house plan to make their homes more efficient, starting with improving the building fabric.  

Proper design is key to the successful installation of a heat pump in any home.  The UK is short on heating engineers who understand how to design and install heat pumps.  This needs to be addressed urgently.

Read a report I wrote about a project in Birmingham to help vulnerable fuel poor households.

Here is a video of the successful use of heat pumps to help fuel poor households.

Featured image by Amy Purdie for Saltley Community Association.

 

 

 

What does the government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy mean for your small business? Top tips for your business to act now.

Posted on by Phil Beardmore
working in bar

The Heat and Buildings Strategy is a plan from the government to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions produced by heating buildings.  It has strengths, but also limitations.  

There is financial support in the Strategy for homeowners, landlords and the public sector to decarbonise homes and public buildings.  Heat pump grants for householders are likely to be predominantly taken up by more affluent households with higher carbon footprints.

There is no financial support for small businesses in the Heat and Buildings Strategy.  All is not lost, however, because there are many things that your small business can do to save the earth, without costing the earth. 

Here are my top tips for what you can do now:

  • Review the way you use your heating controls.  In every single building that I have ever helped, I have advised on better use of existing heating controls.  More strategic use of existing heating controls needs no capital investment.  Upgrading to smart heating controls is a cost-effective way of saving carbon.
  • Switch to LED lighting throughout the business and don’t forget lighting controls – for example, passive infra-red controls in areas of intermittent occupancy such as bathrooms and corridors.
  • Consider the impact of home working and flexible working on your business.  Just because there are fewer people in your building, it doesn’t always follow that your building is using less energy.  Now is a good time to undertake an energy audit. 
  • Improve the airtightness of your building.  Look for gaps where the floors meet the walls and where the roof meets the walls.  They can be sealed quite cheaply and will effectively stop heat escaping from your building.  This is particularly useful in older buildings where it is difficult and expensive to insulate the walls and floors.  But if you can insulate, then walls, roofs, floors, and window reveals.  Thermal imaging is great for identifying priority areas.
  • Move desks and equipment to make use of natural light.
  • Use laptops instead of desktops as they use less energy.

 

Tell me what makes your business great, and we will work together to make it greener and more profitable.

If you’re a business that needs expert help with energy saving then please check out my energy advice packages.

If you’re a homeowner please click here.  I specialise in advising homeowners on whether a heat pump is suitable for their home. 

If you’re a charity, public sector body or housing provider please click here.

Consumers want to buy off businesses that are ethical and sustainable.  Now is the time to act on the climate emergency.