It is freezing outside and a gas meter is clicking making holes in our pockets larger.
With the knowledge that the Scottish Government is currently subsidising a switch from gas to heat pumps by £7500 – is it a time to move our households to this sustainable energy source?
What are the risks? Mainly financial. It is not only the technology of the heating pump itself, but the requirements to totally insulate your home and update the radiators (heating pumps need larger sizes due to a lower temperature output). Plus the heating pump needs electricity to run.
However, there is a choice of advice available to the public provided by independent organizations like the Energy Savings Trust, the Scottish Government, and also the public sharing their experiences with the new technology on YouTube.
For the positive news about heating pumps – see the Guardian analysis of the mass switch to ground source pumps in arctic Norway.
