The Heating Hub - Experts & Thought Leaders

The heating industry is barring consumers from exercising their rights to choose efficient heating systems, according to consumer advice experts at The Heating Hub. Jo Alsop, Founder of The Heating Hub, said “For too long the UK’s domestic heating industry has been focused on volume boiler sales rather than on providing consumers with good advice about how to choose long-lasting, efficient systems.” highest boiler replacement Rate The United Kingdom has one of the highest boiler replacement rates in Europe" She adds, “The sector is simply ‘not fit for purpose’ and as a result of this addiction to boiler sales, the United Kingdom has one of the highest boiler replacement rates in Europe. Too many consumers are being short changed for us not to act.” Millions of Britons are currently working from home and spending more time indoors in order to comply with restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus, leading to a rise in demand for gas. Energy prices are due to increase further in April 2021, as a result of rising wholesale costs, which will see typical dual fuel bills rise by £96 to £1,138 a year. Reducing energy bills, a top priority for UK residents Jo Alsop further said, “With domestic heating forming one of the largest and fastest rising components of household expenditure, reducing energy bills is a top priority for many people and improving boiler efficiency would significantly contribute towards reducing fuel consumption.” Jo adds, “Premature replacement and low efficiencies as a result of an incorrect installation are costing cash-strapped consumers thousands of pounds in unnecessary expenditure over the lifetime of their boiler.” Difficult to gauge true operational efficiency of boilers She further stated, “Consumers are promised A-rated boilers with efficiency ratings of at least 92%, but the reality is that efficiencies are much lower in the home as a result of inadequate installation practices. Boiler manufacturers have made it virtually impossible for consumers to know the true operational efficiency of their boiler. Furthermore, consumers are routinely advised to replace boilers that could be repaired and do not need to be changed.” The Heating Hub website was launched late last year, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 lockdown, to provide consumers with honest facts about their heating systems along with impartial, expert advice to help them select the very best boiler package for their household needs. Research conducted by The Heating Hub shows that an incorrectly installed boiler will cost the average UK household £418 per year and in the last 7 to 10 years, by comparison, a correctly installed boiler should last over two decades and consume less fuel, saving the average household close to £7,000 over the lifetime of the boiler. Modern condensing boilers offer high efficiency rates Boiler efficiency is more than just turning the thermostat down a degree" While modern condensing boilers are capable of achieving high-efficiency rates, industry research conducted by The Heating Hub reveals that 99% of installers are not adequately trained to set up a boiler to work at its optimal efficiency. The company says that chronic underinvestment in training has also left the industry unprepared to cope with increased demand for new technologies, such as heat pumps. Jo Alsop said, “Boiler efficiency is more than just turning the thermostat down a degree, and unfortunately the lack of training and awareness among installers means even when consumers change their boiler, they are too often swapping an existing poorly set up boiler to a new poorly set up boiler.” Need for correct configuration and advice on boilers She adds, “Our efficiency audits have revealed that most households have oversized incorrectly configured boilers that are cycling on and off and using too much fuel. On a 1-2-1 basis, we can recommend changes to the boiler’s set up and compatible controls that make a huge difference to boiler efficiencies and save consumers thousands of pounds in unnecessary and ineffective boiler changes.” The Heating Hub website is the UK’s first one-stop-shop for impartial boiler advice and unlike other price comparison sites and online boiler companies, the service provides consumers with free, unbiased advice on selecting the correct boiler for their home. Paid-for ‘Hero Support’ service The company also offers a paid-for ‘Hero Support’ service which takes care of the entire process of boiler research, selection, and finding an installer from the 1% of engineers trained to fit modern boilers correctly.

Consumer advise experts at The Heating Hub have warned consumers not to get ‘hooked’ on the latest technologies in the drive to reduce carbon emissions, stating that they should focus on selecting the most appropriate system for their household requirements. The UK Government recently announced ambitious plans to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028 and has committed to phasing out natural gas boilers in new build homes by 2025. Decarbonizing homes Decarbonizing homes is a top priority and heat pumps and hydrogen could be significant breakthroughs" Jo Alsop, Founder of The Heating Hub, said “Decarbonizing homes is a top priority and advancements such as heat pumps and hydrogen could be significant breakthroughs. However, such technologies will not be appropriate for every property. Consumers need to be very careful not to buy into the latest ‘trend’ but rather to get a clear specification on what will be the most efficient and effective solution for their homes and to ensure that whatever the heat source, it runs at its peak efficiency.” Jo adds, “It doesn’t matter how good the technology is on paper; if the installation is inadequate the heating system won’t operate at peak efficiency and the potential economic and environmental benefits will never be fully realized. Many air source heat pump owners have suffered high fuel bills because the technology was unsuitable for their home and/or it was poorly specified.” Strategy to decarbonize heating According to the National Grid, heating accounts for 20% of UK emissions, making it imperative that the UK finds low carbon sources of fuel in order to meet net zero targets by 2050. Jo continued, stating “Specifying regulations for new build properties is just the tip of the iceberg. We urgently need a strategy to decarbonize heating for the 27.5 million homes with existing gas boilers. While heat pumps are incredibly efficient, they are not suitable for many smaller or older properties, which will struggle to find space for air source heat pumps and the larger radiators they require.” Hydrogen boilers The next ten years will need to see a huge, national program of whole-house retro-fitting Hydrogen boilers are also being considered as a viable option, but as hydrogen uses fossil fuels or electricity in its production, its long-term viability is far from proven. The next ten years will need to see a huge, national program of whole-house retro-fitting, whereby homes will need to be highly insulated to reduce their heat requirement to a minimum. This is sure to open up more opportunities for low carbon technologies to heat homes as energy requirements will be lower. The Heating Hub believes the key is bringing in renewable heating technologies at a natural point of replacement and to concentrate on reducing heat requirement and making homes more energy efficient. Transitioning to zero carbon boilers The consumer website has analyzed the heating options available for a variety of property types and set out a roadmap for how each property could transition to zero carbon boilers. 2-3 bed mid-terrace Victorian house – 2020-2030: 300mm loft insulation, floor insulation, double or triple glazing and sealing doors/windows from drafts. Correctly set-up (hydrogen- ready) gas boiler with load or weather compensation controls to run at A-rated efficiencies. 2025-2035: External wall insulation for the whole terrace with mechanical heat recovery ventilation to prevent overheating. Solar PV panels (to create electricity) with battery storage and/or solar thermal panels either of which can be used to heat the home. 2035-2040: Replacement of gas boiler at the end of its natural life with standalone air source heat pump (space permitting) or a fully hydrogen boiler should the technology prove viable. 3-4 bed 1930s-1950s semi - 2020-2030: 300mm loft insulation, cavity wall insulation or external wall insulation with mechanical heat recovery ventilation, floor insulation (where the property has suspended timber floors), double or triple glazing and sealing doors/ windows from drafts. Correctly set-up (hydrogen ready) gas boiler with load or weather compensation controls to run at A-rated efficiencies. 2025-2035: Replacement of gas boiler at the end of its natural life with air source heat pump, solar PV panels (to create electricity) and/or solar thermal panels (to generate hot water). 4-5 bed detached or semi 2000 onwards - 2020-2030: Retrofit as necessary (some homes not built to A-rated standards), 300mm loft insulation, cavity wall insulation or external insulation, mechanical heat recovery ventilation and double or triple glazed windows and doors. 2025-2035: Air source heat pump, solar PV and/or solar thermal panels. Blocks of flats - Flats will require a whole-block approach to insulation, with the costs most likely split between the freeholder and flat owner. Combined heat and power units that produce heating and electricity are a great option for decarbonizing heat. Alternatively, electric boilers can be used in some circumstances. While they are not classed as renewable, they do have the potential to run on 100% renewable electricity. Solar panels with back-up electric immersion One option to reduce emissions in the short term is to add hydrogen to our gas supplies and this is being tested" For small UK homes, Jo hopes there is a simpler solution. He states, “I would hope that the heat requirement for smaller and older properties could be reduced sufficiently that an array of solar panels with a back-up electric immersion that uses renewably generated electricity. The reality is that the ‘silver bullet’ technology may not have been invented yet.” Jo continues, “One option to reduce emissions in the short term is to add hydrogen to our gas supplies and this is being tested. New gas boilers that are setup to run efficiently on hydrogen mixes are a good short-term step to decarbonizing small, older homes, delivering net emissions reductions of around 10%. Furthermore, the existing gas grid can also be utilized for distribution, reducing expenditure on new infrastructure.” Using hydrogen gas and renewable energy sources Hydrogen gas is made by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, and renewable energy sources can be used to further reduce emissions. The gas can be mixed with natural gas and burnt in a similar way, releasing water without greenhouse gas emissions. However, generating hydrogen is currently an energy intensive process and should be limited to homes that cannot accommodate a heat pump in the future. Heat pumps Heat pumps offer many advantages over conventional gas boilers, as they work at high efficiencies and, if set up correctly, can generate 3-4 units of energy for every one unit of electricity they use. However, they are expensive to install and require space in the home for the heat pump unit and a hot water tank. The environmental cost of production of the heat pumps and shipping across the world must be factored into decision making. Jo concludes, “New technologies will play a big part in reducing the UK’s emissions, but it is vital that the specification for any new boiler is appropriate to the household’s heating requirements. The options available to consumers are going to change dramatically over the coming years, as new technologies become more mainstream and widely deployed, and it is important that householders understand which option would best meet their requirements.”

The Government’s plan to increase heat pump installations is ‘doomed to failure’ without a substantial increase in training for installers, according to consumer advice specialists at The Heating Hub. Last week the Government outlined its 10-step plan for a ‘green industrial revolution’, which included a commitment to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028. Jo Alsop, Founder of The Heating Hub, said: “There are many financial and environmental benefits associated with heat pump installations as they operate at very high efficiencies of around 200-300%. The Government’s commitment to increase installations is a welcome move that will help the UK to achieve its goal of net-zero carbon by 2050.” High efficiency boilers “However, without a meteoric increase in training and investment to upskill the workforce, this goal will be unachievable. Our research shows that over 90% of the UK’s heating system engineers are not trained to properly install and set up modern condensing gas boilers to operate at their peak efficiencies, in spite of the fact that such high efficiency boilers have been mandatory for the past 15 years.” “Furthermore, 86% of installers feel ‘let down’ by the sector in terms of the inadequate training they have received. Given that the sector has comprehensively failed to train the workforce to fit new gas boilers correctly, it seems doubtful that engineers will receive the training they need, without intervention.” Greenhouse gas emissions Incorrectly installed boilers work below their operational efficiency, using more fuel as a result" “Furthermore, with roughly 22.5 million homes in the UK already running on gas heating, improving the efficiency of gas boilers presents a huge opportunity to reduce our carbon emissions. Incorrectly installed boilers work below their operational efficiency, using more fuel as a result, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.” “Providing the training to help engineers to install and set up modern condensing boilers to run at their A-rated label efficiencies would present a far quicker route to reducing emissions in the short term. Moreover, once gas engineers know how to get condensing boilers working at their A-label efficiencies, the transition to heat pumps is an easy one.” Air source heat pump Heat pumps use latent heat in the air, that is present even in cold temperatures, and convert it to useable heat for the home. Heat pumps are the most efficient alternative to fuel, oil and fully electrical systems, achieving efficiency rates of up to 300%. In other words, for every one unit of electricity they use they produce three units of energy. However, they are expensive (typical prices range from £7,000 to £12,000 for an air source heat pump) and considerably more difficult to install than gas boilers, as research must be undertaken in order to understand the movement of heat, local geology, as well as the heating requirements for a household. Heat pump installations If we are serious about meeting our net zero 2050 target, we have to strive for actual efficiencies" Jo concluded: “Given the complexities of heat pump installations, it is vital that they are installed and set up correctly to ensure households receive the efficiency savings they have been promised. Get it wrong and efficiencies will drop while fuel bills soar.” “We cannot repeat the mistakes of gas boilers and fit ‘A-rated’ appliances that are only C-rated or less in the home because installers do not understand low temperature heating systems. If we are serious about meeting our net zero 2050 target, we have to strive for actual efficiencies, not on-paper efficiencies.” “Without a step-change in the way the workforce is trained, there seems little doubt that the Government’s policy is doomed to failure. There simply won’t be a sufficient number of qualified engineers to install such a high volume of heat pumps within the next six to seven years and the heat pumps that do get installed won’t meet their label efficiencies.”