The energy trade body EUA has issued a warning that current government heat pump subsidy schemes could morally compromise the transition to low carbon heating by leaving low income households with higher annual energy bills.
Government schemes, such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) which offers £7,500 toward heat pump installation, and the forthcoming Warm Homes Plan, which pledges full funding for low income households, are intended to support a fair, greener future. However, the EUA points out that the government’s minimum efficiency requirement – a SCOP of just 2.8 – means many recipients of these subsidised heat pumps will cost around £200 more each year to heat their home than they would with a gas boiler.
“We cannot call a policy ‘green’ if it makes the poorest families pay more for the privilege of decarbonising,” argues Mike Foster, CEO of EUA. “It is morally unacceptable to ask low income households to shoulder higher running costs in order to meet national climate goals. Fairness must be at the heart of the transition.”
According to the EUA, households would only benefit if installations achieve a SCOP of at least 3.5, or if customers are placed on a dedicated heat pump tariff. Currently, neither is guaranteed.
“When public money is used, there is an ethical duty to protect the people receiving it,” Mike Foster adds. “A higher minimum efficiency standard or mandatory placement on a heat pump tariff is not just a technical detail – it is a moral obligation. Otherwise, these schemes risk turning support into hardship.”
The EUA is also calling for annual service checks to ensure heat pumps continue to operate effectively.
“A heat pump installed at high efficiency, but left to deteriorate, fails both the household and the taxpayer,” says Foster. “Maintaining performance is part of the moral contract when spending public funds.”
