From The Daily Sceptic

by Will Jones

Heat pumps are not guaranteed to save households money in the long-term, the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser has conceded. The Telegraph has the story.

A meeting chaired by Professor Dame Angela McLean found it was “not currently clear” if heat pumps were cheaper to run than a traditional gas boiler.

The revelation comes amid Ed Miliband’s push for homes to switch to low-carbon heating as part of a drive to reach Net Zero.

Heat pumps, which can cost up to £13,000 to install, are the backbone of the Government’s green agenda, despite concerns they can negatively impact a property’s EPC score, which can make mortgages more expensive.

Minutes from a roundtable discussion chaired by Prof McLean in January were published by the Office for Science on Wednesday.

The report cited heat pumps as “a major financial decision and long-term commitment,” adding “it is not currently clear that heat pumps will save people money”.

The meeting, attended by climate minister Kerry McCarthy, was held with the ambition “to provide accessible science advice for policymakers”.

It cited a 2023 study by Polish academic Agnieszka Kijo-Kleczkowska, which found the shortest payback time for a heat pump, together with solar panels, was 11 years and six months. It noted this would be “unacceptably long to many”.

Households can still claim grants worth up to £7,500 for the installation of a heat pump, and Labour is looking at expanding grants to include different types of models such as ‘air-to-air’ heat pumps, which can also function as air conditioning.

Richard Tice, Reform UK deputy leader, said: “Another net zero policy unravels as heat pumps are shown to be an expensive con. People have been deliberately wronged in another major mis-selling scandal.”

Even with a grant, a typical heat pump costs £13,000 to install – and according to YouGov polling, most households are reluctant to pay an additional £5,500 themselves.

Worth reading in full.