Ecotricity Explains: Dale’s position on heat pumps
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Our founder, Dale Vince OBE, has been in the news recently about his position on heat pumps � but the headlines can be misleading. That’s why we wanted to put the facts all in one place to clear things up.
The main point is this: Dale isn’t against heat pumps � he's just against the government plan to roll them out to every home. This is because it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to tackling green heating and rising energy costs.
In fact, he’s been using one in his own home for the last 20 years and believes they can play a key role in reducing carbon emissions from home heating � if it works for you and your home. Unfortunately, , whether they can carry out the necessary retrofits or not.
Things to bear in mind when considering getting a heat pump
Do you have a working gas boiler? Switching to heat pumps nationally would mean scrapping millions of gas boilers, cookers, and other appliances—a massive waste of resources. A more sensible solution is to keep the existing gas grid and simply switch to greener gas. This approach would save significant costs and allow for a smoother transition to decarbonised heating.
Will it reduce your energy bills? Heat pumps currently installed in the UK operate with a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of around 2.8, which can lead to a for many homes. To avoid bill increases, a COP of 4 is necessary, but achieving this level is uncertain across the board, particularly in homes with less insulation or older radiators. Heat pumps also produce lower temperature water than boilers, a fundamental issue for many heating systems.
Is your insulation up to scratch? Insulation can play a key role in reducing your energy bill, whilst also helping to green up Britain. Start by checking your loft or roof insulation. You need a minimum of . When houses first started being insulated it was to a depth of 100mm, so it’s worth checking any existing insulation you may have. You can also insulate your floors. If you have floorboards over a void, you can attach insulation to the undersides, which will also stop any nasty draughts.
Ready to start turning your bills into mills?
and we’ll use your bill money to build new sources of renewable energy and build a greener Britain.
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