#heat-pumps

#heat-pumps

Households will be eligible for thousands of pounds' worth of solar panels and other green tech to lower their energy bills, the government has announced. The long-awaited Warm Homes Plan promises to provide 15bn to households across the UK over the next five years, as well as introducing new rights for renters. The government has said it wants to create a "rooftop revolution", tripling the number of homes with solar, and lifting one million people out of fuel poverty.

Berkeley's historic homes have plenty of charms, but knob-and-tube wiring isn't one of them. Modernizing these antiquated electrical systems can add tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of home improvement projects, especially HVAC and appliance upgrades. That concern is what led to the creation last November of Mr. Poppy Electric, a Berkeley-based electrical contractor firm founded by longtime friends Tenzin Soepa and Andrei Smith, both Berkeley High School graduates.

With heating bills soaring, everyone is looking for a simple way to cut costs - which is where radiator booster fans could come to the rescue. For those who have never heard of them, these gadgets attach to the bottom or top of the best radiator, drawing in cooler air from the floor, blowing it across the warm radiator surface, and then pushing the heated air quickly around the room. To find out whether these add-ons really work (or whether they're just another gimmick), we asked a heating expert for their opinions and put them to the test on our own radiators.

The future of Britain's green home revolution could hinge on one thing - the price of electricity. A new report from Mitsubishi Electric warns that unless power costs are reduced, millions of homeowners will be unable or unwilling to make the switch from gas boilers to low-carbon air source heat pumps. Despite growing public concern about climate change and strong interest in greener heating, electricity remains far more expensive than gas, creating a financial barrier that could derail the country's net-zero ambitions.

This Labour government is all in on action to tackle the climate crisis because it is the way to secure better lives for people in Britain today and protect future generations tomorrow. This plan sets out the ambitious actions we have taken in our first 15 months unleashing investment, creating jobs, rebuilding our energy security. Meanwhile, our political opponents have embarked down an anti-jobs, anti-science path that would spell disaster for our economy, our security and our planet.

IKEA has long been known for transforming how we furnish our homes, now it wants to help power them too. The retail giant has unveiled a brand-new Home Energy Services range in the UK, featuring solar panels, heat pumps, home batteries and EV chargers designed to make sustainable living simpler and more accessible. Partnering with renewable energy experts Aira and Soly, IKEA says its latest offering could help households cut both emissions and energy bills while making the switch to greener technology effortless.

From the very beginning, we wanted to design the systems to be able to be continuously improved, updated over the air. It's a pattern that's happened in EVs and gotten a lot of traction, but no one had really done that before in HVAC,

One of the worst places to install a heat pump is where the outdoor unit cannot get enough airflow. If the unit is positioned in a narrow gap or tucked into a corner to make it less visible, it doesn't get the air it needs to work efficiently. Over time, that leads to reduced performance and potential reliability issues.

"Once you know the heat pump mistakes the experts see happening on a regular basis, you are halfway to ensuring that your own system will be one that proves to be a worthwhile investment. If you are considering installing an air source heat pump, you can expect many benefits, including lower heating bills, but to ensure you enjoy all the advantages this type of heating system can offer, there are certain mistakes to avoid."

The ASA found that the two ads, which appeared online, omitted key information about the eligibility criteria for government funding available for installing the pumps.

The number of people applying for heat pump grants through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme has increased by 54% in the first half of 2025 compared to last year.

Chris Baraniuk highlighted the urgent need to decarbonize energy systems, emphasizing the role of electric heat pumps as alternatives to gas and oil for domestic heating.

Greater Manchester aims to lead the UK in low-carbon home heating by planning the installation of 64,000 heat pumps by 2030, emphasizing a wide-reaching impact.