- cross-posted to:
- climate@slrpnk.net
- energy@slrpnk.net
- cross-posted to:
- climate@slrpnk.net
- energy@slrpnk.net
Experts from a “nudge unit” have been hired to help ministers fight misinformation about heat pumps to try to encourage take-up of the devices.
The appliances run on electricity instead of gas and are regarded as a way of decarbonising homes at scale. A target of installing 600,000 a year by 2028 is part of a drive to achieve Britain’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050.
However, misinformation shared in the media and by “other stakeholders” is impeding uptake, according to a £100,000 government contract awarded to the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), which specialises in ideas to “nudge” the public into taking different actions.
The contract awarded to BIT contains details of a previously unpublished research by the Department for Energy.
It found that individuals who self-reported that they knew a fair amount or a lot about heat pumps were less likely to want one. However, people who correctly answered a simple knowledge question about heat pumps were more likely to want one.
BIT is finalising a large survey of householders’ views and coverage in the media that will be used in planning how the government will push back against misinformation.
“Information about heat pumps is being shared by the media and stakeholders, which may be skewed to negative, incorrect or exaggerated stories of heat pump adoption,” says the contract, which cites examples including claims that the pumps are noisy, cost too much to install and are not reliable and don’t work in older homes.
Articles about heat pumps in the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph were cited in the document, which states that some of these stories “are generally well-founded, such as believing that heat pumps are expensive” but adds that some include incorrect misconceptions, such as believing they might not work well in the cold.
“Online information which is imbalanced or skewed towards incorrect and exaggerated claims could be considered an environment where misinformation is a problem,” it reads.
Hmmn, the version of England that i live in is filled with cheapskates and incompetence.
I remember the uk govt having to rapidly rewrite a whole section of the the MCS to address heatpumps. due to widespread under sizing, and poor installation / system design. Sure you can get quiet ones, if you pay even more.
The govt and the HP manufactures like to do their CBA on a “best case”, “minimum viable spec”, herioc assumptions about insulation/remedial work, and minimal retrofit costs. Oh sure they “can be quiet”; but what price was assumed in the CBA? not the “silent” model that costs a few £k more.
Whole new build estates were built with inadequate systems - there’s no excuse for not getting the sizing right on such a development as the overhead of an engineer is nothing, but of course they cheaped out; save £5k cost per house. Fuck the buyer ; they can pay for all the rework, and all the immersion heater uptime in the meanwhile.
It is totally reasonable to warn people of cost overruns, poor performance and massive remedial work with heat pump installs in England since inadequate installs and uderspec systems have happened and will continue to happen whenever a customer chooses the midpoint estimate. You need to tell them get at least 5 quotes and expect to pay the second highest or something. And they need to be vigilant that they actually get the output spec that they pay for.
If they tell people these things are “cheap”, then many peple will think that means they can take a cheap quote. It’s true that they can work, but the system needs to be designed and sized right - and this is likely to mean an awful lot more expense than a gas boiler that peple are used to.
I saw a youtube video where they remediated an inadequate install - they basically doubled the power rating, and installed several extra bits and pieces, must have been at least double the original cost - but they never gave the cost of the new system or the remedial work. This makes me very suspicious they just threw £30+K worth of stuff at the video as an advertising cost.
Re: Paying extra for quiet Heat pumps
Is air conditioning not a thing where you live?
A heatpump is virtually identical to an air conditioner. A heat pump is an air conditioner with a reversing valve that generates no additional noise.
If you look on a map, the southernmost part of the UK is north of Nova Scotia and at the same latitude as the Netherlands. Air conditioning is not a normal thing over there.
Though, thanks to global warming, it’s starting to be used more and more.
Latitude isn’t everything. The North Atlantic Current causes Europe to be warmer than an equivalent latitude in North America.
You’re right, but Ireland, which is closer to the current while still being at the southern end of the UK, seems to see average summer high temps of 18-19 Celsius, based on a quick search. That’s only like the mid-60s (Farenheit).
Actually, talking about it now, I know air conditioning is rare in the UK because I remember a few years ago, there was a major heatwave that caused a number of heat related deaths in the UK due to the lack of air conditioning in housing to control the high temperature and humidity, and it was only like 75 F.
Air conditioning in private housing in England? To use it for one week in a year when the temperature actually goes over 20 degrees?
Air to air heat pumps are a thing even in the UK:
https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/air-to-air-heat-pumps/
https://www.daikin.co.uk/en_gb/residential/inspiration/articles/air-to-air-heat-pumps-vs-air-conditioning.html
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/19/a-lot-of-hot-air-the-pros-and-cons-of-heat-pumps
I ran those past a friend who is a building services engineer who said it’s all straightforward, it’s just air conditioning where you reverse the refrigeration cycle. It’s promoted less because the concern is that people would run it during the summer too for the more standard “comfort cooling” (opposed to air-to-water/air source heat pumps that largely run when it is cold) and so use more energy. Not an issue if backed up with solar panels and/or green electricity but a worry at the moment. It has added advantages, as it can reduce humidity too, which would sort out problems with mould and the like.
Did you mean to reply to someone else?
Nope. You said air conditioning wasn’t that useful in private houses in the UK when it is becoming a bigger deal, usually sold as air-to-air heat pumps.
I was replying to a guy asking if we don’t have air conditioning in the UK houses.
And we increasingly do, but it’s under the label air-to-air heat pumps, but it’s an air conditioning unit that is being used to warm air, not just cool it. My friend installs a lot of industrial air conditioning and says there is essentially no difference just marketing.
You are missing the point completely. That wasn’t what he was referring to and it wasn’t what my answer was about.
He asked if we already have an air con as the heat exchange will be exactly the same level of noise. The answer is we don’t. When your friend is fitting heat pumps, he is replacing existing gas boilers, not the existing air condition units.
Essex seems to need AC. 20+ days a year of over 28.
https://news.sky.com/story/very-hot-30c-days-treble-in-uk-met-office-finds-13183840
Paint me stunned. That must be an exception to the rule.
I never cease to be amused at how the English continue to be surprised that “summer happens” every year.
Oh, I don’t question summer happening. It usually starts Wednesday around 11am and is over by Sunday evening.
In 2022 there were heat waves of over 40 that caused a national emergency.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_United_Kingdom_heatwaves
For three days, thus my point.
Nobody has aircon in the UK! Hotels and extremely high spec flats only.
Like others have said, you’d only need it for about 1 week per year, so why bother?