Homeowners considering installing a heat pump in their homes can now benefit from a new service that allows them to visit nearby households using this technology, to learn about their benefits and increase confidence in adopting low-carbon heating.
Backed by innovation charity Nesta, VisitAHeatPump.com helps householders to book visits in their local areas where heat pumps are already in use. Users can search via their postcode on the website, find nearby owners and book a visit to see a heat pump in person.
From Falkirk to Bristol, 150 heat pump owners have already signed up. London and central Scotland are both leading the way with the most heat pump hosts, while East Anglia is growing with 11 hosts already advertising visits.
Transitioning from gas boilers to low-carbon heating systems like heat pumps will be essential for the UK to reach its net zero goals. But despite this, most people in the UK have never seen a heat pump – there are currently 250,000 heat pumps in UK homes, according to Nesta’s analysis of MCS data.
Previous research from Nesta has found high satisfaction amongst heat pump owners. It found that among people who have had a heat pump installed in their current home, 81% are as satisfied or more satisfied with heat pumps compared to their previous heating system. The figure is similar – 83% – when looking at heat pump owners in Victorian or older properties.
Nesta’s Visit A Heat Pump scheme aims to help people learn about heat pumps in a real-world setting. The project is designed to give consumers more confidence in heat pump technology and increase the likelihood of switching from gas to low-carbon heating.
One example of those who have signed up to host visitors is John Condon (pictured), who lives in a 2-bedroom Victorian terraced home in East London, in the hope of demystifying the process for those interested in installing their own. John says: “We would have loved to have visited a heat pump before we installed it. You need to think about where the equipment goes and if you can do that beforehand and see other people’s solutions, that would have helped our process.”
Katy King, director of sustainable future at Nesta, comments: “Changing the way we heat our homes is one of the most meaningful things we can do to cut carbon emissions. Many homeowners are keen to make green improvements but don’t get the opportunity to see how low-carbon technologies, such as heat pumps, work in action.
“Our new service makes it easier for prospective heat pump owners to visit a heat pump near them and ask an actual heat pump user any questions they might have. We hope that if more people can see heat pumps in real-life settings, then more people will have confidence that a heat pump is the right fit to heat their home.”
Greg Jackson, founder of Octopus Energy, adds: “Heat pumps are about four times more efficient than old-fashioned gas boilers. And with Octopus’ smart tariffs, they are cheaper to run too. Survey after survey shows owners prefer them to their old gas boilers, but the UK is still way behind other countries in adoption due to misinformation campaigns. Initiatives like Nesta’s ‘Visit a Heat Pump’ help to break down the myths, allowing potential buyers to learn about them from people who know best – those who already have them and love them.”
