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Latest British Gas news & announcements

British Gas Launches UK’s Lowest Heat Pump Rate To Drive Take-Up

British Gas has launched the UK’s lowest heat pump rate, to make low-carbon technology more affordable and encourage heat pump uptake. The new energy offering is available to all British Gas energy customers that purchase any air source heat pump from British Gas and aims to help drive the adoption of heat pumps in the country. British Gas’ latest research British Gas is providing a unit rate of just 14p/kWh for the electricity used to run the heat pump for the first year. Households could save up to £450 for one year by switching to a heat pump, making use of the new rate and capping their gas meter, compared to heating a home with a D-rated gas boiler. The savings from the new rate will automatically be credited to customers’ energy bills each month. British Gas also offers a range of payment options including two years of interest-free credit The move tackles the ongoing running costs of heat pumps making them a more affordable option for home heating and cutting carbon emissions. British Gas also offers a range of payment options including two years of interest-free credit. It follows British Gas’ latest research which showed that 60% of UK homeowners say they are considering installing a heat pump. UK’s lowest heat pump rate According to the research, reducing energy bills is homeowners’ biggest priority when it comes to their home heating. Cheaper heat pump tariffs will help to convince nearly four in 10 (37%) homeowners to adopt a heat pump in the future.  Gail Parker, Low Carbon Homes Director at British Gas, said: “There is a clear desire among UK homeowners to cut their energy bills and act more sustainably, but we need to make low carbon products more affordable. We are launching the UK’s lowest heat pump rate to lower running costs as we know this is the single most important factor in households’ choice of home heating system." Gail Parker adds, "Our new pioneering heat pump offer aims to provide a bigger financial incentive to make the switch to electric – helping to decarbonize home heating and making headway towards the Government’s heat pump target.” Hive smart home technology Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said: “Our Boiler Upgrade Scheme is one of the most generous of its kind in Europe and is helping households make the switch to cleaner, more energy-efficient heating." Lord Callanan adds, "Demand for heat pumps is on the rise with the latest figures showing applications are up 46% compared with the same month last year. This competitive new tariff from British Gas will see families save up to £450 on their energy bills, all while cutting emissions."  Daikin and Hive partneship British Gas and sister company - Hive are also looking to make heat pumps simpler to understand. Smart home expert, Hive, and heat pump manufacturer, Daikin, have recently announced that they will be integrating heat pumps into the Hive smart home technology with trials due to begin later this year.

Hive And Daikin Join Forces To Integrate Heat Pumps With Smart Home Technology

Smart home expert - Hive and heat pump manufacturer - Daikin have announced the first step in a long-term collaboration to make net zero easier by helping customers control their heat pump through the Hive app. visibility and control The collaboration will see Daikin Altherma 3 heat pumps integrated with Hive energy management technology to give customers greater visibility and control of their heating system. This includes allowing homeowners to personalize heating schedules, track spending, and set budgets, while also optimizing their heat pump for use when electricity is cheaper and greener because there is low demand on the grid. Hive app Both businesses will be trialing the integration later in 2024 and have plans to roll out the product offering widely Customers will be able to control the usage of their heat pump via the Hive app, a whole home smart hub for connectivity across heating, lighting, batteries, and electric vehicle chargers. Both businesses will be trialing the integration later in 2024 and have plans to roll out the product offering widely once the trial is complete. affordable and simple electric heating Gail Parker, Low Carbon Homes Director – Heat Pumps at Hive, said, “Domestic heating is one of the largest emitters of carbon in the UK and will require collaboration to address this challenge. As we integrate Daikin heat pumps with its Hive technology, we are making electric heating affordable and simple by giving them the visibility they need to control their heat pump and energy usage." Gail Parker adds, “As we work towards heat pumps joining the Hive ecosystem of well-loved products, we’re providing customers with a simple way to see and manage all their devices in one easy-to-use app.” Cost savings Iain Bevan, New Business Director – Residential, commented, “If the UK is going to hit its legally binding commitment to achieve net zero by 2050, we have to decarbonize domestic space and water heating." He adds, "Combining a smart controller, like Hive, with a low-carbon heat pump not only gives people more control, it can also help them get the perfect temperature and save them even more money at the same time." heat pump technology Iain Bevan continues, “Daikin is excited to be working with Hive to fully integrate their smart controller technology with our heat pump technology. This collaboration could help tens of thousands of people decarbonize their domestic heating, reducing their carbon footprint and help address climate change.” In addition to helping customers optimize their heat pump usage to make them more affordable, Hive and British Gas will shortly be launching a heat pump tariff to lower running costs and encourage the installation of heat pumps throughout the UK.

British Gas Launches Dimplex Quantum Tariff: The Smart Tariff That Decarbonizes Homes

British Gas and Dimplex have partnered to launch the British Gas Dimplex Quantum Tariff, the UK’s most advanced electric storage heating tariff for use with the Dimplex Quantum Storage Heater. The Dimplex Quantum Storage Heater, from manufacturer - Glen Dimplex Heating & Ventilation (GDHV), is a revolution of the traditional storage heater; a heat battery, designed to deliver the electrification of heat in buildings. Dimplex Quantum Storage Heater The Dimplex Quantum is a great electric heating option for homes that are looking to upgrade their existing storage heaters or replace other direct electric heating systems. This technology and the flexible services it enables, compliments at a national level the roll out of heat pumps. British Gas Dimplex Quantum Tariff The British Gas Dimplex Quantum Tariff is a first-of-its-kind smart tariff for the Quantum storage heaters The British Gas Dimplex Quantum Tariff is a first-of-its-kind smart tariff for the Quantum storage heaters. Created by British Gas, the tariff can offer lower rates than typical Economy 7 tariffs thanks to the heaters’ capability to allow British Gas to charge Quantum heaters when electricity costs are lowest on the grid. This will be delivered through 100% renewable electricity, and with prices fixed for 12 months. Designed, developed, and manufactured in the UK, the Quantum heaters intelligently communicate with British Gas, who charges them up with low-cost electricity when it’s available on the grid. This cheap electricity can be intelligently stored as heat, which not only helps consumers to lower their bills, but can also provide flexibility to the UK’s energy system, as they continue to decarbonize their national energy infrastructure and transition towards Net Zero. British Gas and Glen Dimplex partneship Catherine O’Kelly, Managing Director of British Gas Energy said: “Our partnership with Glen Dimplex will allow customers to save on their energy bills, shift energy usage away from peak times, and help contribute to a greener grid. I’m pleased that our new British Gas Dimplex Quantum Tariff will join the PeakSave family, which is helping to create a more flexible and sustainable energy grid and supporting the UK on its decarbonization journey.” How does it work? Dimplex Quantum heaters are installed into a home alongside a Dimplex Control Hub, a device that connects the heaters and their energy needs via a data cloud to British Gas. Devices are aggregated into virtual power plants using the market leading Demand Side Response software platform developed by Centrica, the parent company of British Gas. Virtual power plants, which can include aggregated devices such as home batteries, EV chargers Virtual power plants, which can include aggregated devices such as home batteries, EV chargers, smart hot water tanks, as well as large industrial batteries, can be used to help balance the supply and demand of electricity in the energy markets and help to keep the electricity grid stable. They can also help the UK achieve its net zero targets by reducing demand in response to low levels of renewable generation, reducing the need to run fossil fuel power stations during times of peak demand. Reduced night-time rate for the whole property Customers on the British Gas Dimplex Quantum Tariff receive a reduced night-time rate for the whole property from British Gas (with day-rate in line with the standard tariff), for agreeing to connect to the data cloud and providing this electrical flexibility. The heaters are programmed so that they always maintain enough charge to meet the needs of those using them, whilst still helping the bill-payer save money through reduced tariff rates. This reduced rate tariff is just one of the ways British Gas is rewarding customers for better energy use through its PeakSave scheme. Reducing costs and carbon emissions Conor Sugrue, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Glen Dimplex Heating & Ventilation (GDHV), said: “I’m delighted that the British Gas Dimplex Quantum tariff has been launched to the market after so much development. Our collaboration with Centrica on the National Grid trials has proven that technologies available now to customers can help with the challenge they face in reducing cost and carbon, while maintain comfortable, healthy buildings.” He adds, “Of all the innovation required to launch this proposition to customers, I’m most proud of its simplicity. We are offering a modern, low carbon heating solution paired with a recognizable tariff from the largest energy and home services company in the UK.” Key step into a new market for smart technologies This is an important step into a new market for smart technologies, which solve problems at a grid level" Conor Sugrue continues, “This is an important step into a new market for smart technologies, which solve problems at a grid level, and bring these savings into the lives of the consumers whose appliances make it possible.” He further said, “Through collaborations such as this, the UK has the opportunity to deliver a secure, decarbonized energy system, which is low-cost and accessible to all. I can’t wait to see this new era of flexible, dynamic tariffs evolve.” Benefits of the Tariff This new energy model creates value for the supply chain and property owner, which gives energy consumers a number of benefits: Gives a low cost, low carbon alternative in the replacement of storage heaters and for those using Economy7 tariffs. Future-proof technology that will decarbonize with the grid and create a return on future energy trading services as they develop. Enhanced customer control, provides a user app with functionality such as zoned control and energy data analysis. Improved building energy performance, as the heaters are recognized in SAP and Energy Performance Certificates for improving a building’s EPC rating. Peace of mind from locked-in rates for a period of at least 12 months. Heavily discounted night-time rate for the whole property from British Gas, with day-rate in line with the standard tariff. Opportunity to take advantage of British Gas’s Peaksave offers, saving consumers even more on electricity bills by shifting energy use to periods of lower demand.

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