October record month for heat pumps: comment

Commenting on official statistics showing that October was a record month for heat pumps in the UK [1] Jess Ralston, Head of Energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: "As we enter the fourth winter of the gas crisis, the news of a record month for heat pump installations points to the path to energy independence. Electric heat pumps are crucial for the UK’s energy security as they lower gas demand, which will increasingly come from abroad as North Sea output continues its inevitable decline.

"The Government has just weakened the Conservative's Clean Heat Market Mechanism which would see gas boiler manufacturers sell more heat pumps, off the back of "campaigns of misinformation" from the gas industry, as one former Energy Minister put it. [2] Will this weakening mean less heat pump installations and in turn that we leave ourselves more reliant on foreign gas and the price volatility of gas markets?"

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Applications for Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) vouchers, redemptions and installations all reached record levels in October: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/boiler-upgrade-scheme-statistics-october-2024 

2. Former energy minister, Lord Callanan accused "vested interests" of "funding campaigns of misinformation" about heat pumps: https://news.sky.com/story/campaigns-of-misinformation-around-heat-pumps-says-energy-minister-amid-record-number-of-installations-13052428

For more information or for interview requests:

George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net