Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 24
24
Deferred
Significant proportion of households face challenges, making heat pump installation difficult for properties.
Conclusion
In September 2023, the government announced that some homes may be exempt from the planned phase-out of new fossil fuel boilers in 2035. The government estimated that around a fifth of households might be exempt. Examples of such homes could cover those requiring energy efficiency or electrical connection upgrades, those not connected to the gas grid, or those that lack space for a heat pump. We asked DESNZ which were the types of properties or regions where installing a heat pump might be harder. DESNZ explained that it would be most challenging to install heat pumps in densely populated urban areas and those without outside space, such as blocks of flats.42 We received written evidence from Fuel Poverty Action, which suggested that there were 2 million households with electric storage heating, often flats, that are unsuitable for heat pumps but suffer from high energy prices and therefore require more flexibility.43 Calor Gas, which supplies Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) to off-gas grid properties, said in its written evidence that many of its customers live in harder to treat, remote properties—some of which have period features, planning restrictions, or constrained local electricity grid constraints— all of which prevent retrofit works from being carried out.44
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the committee's observations and commits to providing further information on properties unsuitable for traditional heat pumps and appropriate alternative technologies, aligning with the publication of its commissioned research report from Summer 2025.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2025 5.2 The department accepts the recommendation though the date of implementation will be later than recommended by the former Committee, aligning with the publication of the research report from Summer 2025. The department will provide further information on which types of properties may not be suitable for traditional heat pumps operating at low flow temperatures, and what alternative low-carbon heating technologies may be most appropriate for this group. 5.3 Departmental modelling indicates it would be feasible to install heat pumps in over 90% homes across the UK, based on analysis of their energy efficiency and fuse limit. Results from the Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project show that heat pumps are widely suitable across the diverse range of housing archetypes present in the UK. 5.4 Nonetheless, the department has been monitoring a range of different low carbon heating solutions that could be used in properties that would not be suitable for traditional low temperature heat pumps. These include high temperature heat pumps, air to air heat pumps, electric boilers, heat batteries and storage heaters. Off the gas grid, the department is supporting the installation of solid biomass systems in a small number of appropriate properties through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. 5.5 The department has commissioned further research that will look at the most feasible and cost-effective approaches to transitioning complex to decarbonise properties onto clean heating systems. The Department intends to publish that research report once it is available from Summer 2025.