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A new report released by the non-profit Energy and Utilities Alliance highlights the high costs that households face in promoting cleaner, more environmentally friendly housing. As part of the government’s commitment to achieve a net-zero economy by 2050, the British are encouraged to abolish polluting gas-fired boilers and switch to carbon-free alternatives. One such alternative is for a heat pump to obtain energy from the outside and convert it into heat that can be circulated around the home.
Although heat pumps are a relatively new introduction in the UK, they have won a lot of sympathy from environmentalists due to their efficiency and reduced emissions.
However, according to the EUA, compared with hydrogen boilers, households that choose to replace gas boilers with heat pumps may face a five-fold increase in cost.
The trade association stated in its report that currently families may have to pay as much as £15,000 for the transition, depending on their family.
The price of environmentally friendly boilers ranges from £6,000 to £27,000, which does not include many other upgrades and hidden costs.
On the other hand, the cost of installing a hydrogen-ready boiler can be as high as £3,000 per household.
According to CEO Mike Foster, the choice between the two options is obvious: a hydrogen boiler is the way forward.
He told Express.co.uk: “The problem most families face is that if we go down the route of installing heat pumps, in order to obtain the effectiveness of heat pumps, most families will have to bear a lot of upfront costs to meet energy efficiency requirements. And a new heat distribution system.
“So, the new radiator may be a new pipe. It is almost certain that there is no hot water tank in the house.
“And these are considerable upfront expenses. These expenses add up to a sum of money. Frankly speaking, most families can only dream of owning this money.”
The difference between the two options comes down to additional energy efficiency measures and hidden costs associated with heat pumps.
These may include the need to install hot water bottles and new radiators, and in the worst case, the need to install new internal piping.
It is estimated that, on average, British households emit about 2.7 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), which warms the earth, every year just by heating their houses.
Therefore, the reason why the government is keen to upgrade houses with new carbon-free equipment is obvious.
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The document sets out the British government’s vision to achieve decarbonization of the British household, public, commercial and industrial sectors on the road to net zero emissions.
Some people have proposed that by 2025, the government will help heat pumps achieve cost parity with gas boilers, reducing 25% to 50%.
To achieve this goal, the ministers proposed to provide consumers with a grant of £5,000 to help offset the cost of installing heat pumps.
However, Mr. Foster believes that the government has an opportunity to turn its attention to hydrogen technology.
Hydrogen does not produce any greenhouse gas emissions, and can be easily produced using renewable energy such as wind and solar energy.
Mr. Foster said: “Direct replacement of the boiler is the cheapest option. If all you have to do is remove a boiler from the wall because it is broken, and then replace it with a boiler on the wall, then you can probably spend £1,500. Buy it. To 2,000 pounds.”
If the customer takes some additional measures to test and improve the efficiency of the system, the cost may rise to about £3,000, which is still five times that of the heat pump.
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