The Retrofit Somerset project led by Somerset Climate Action Network in partnership with Somerset Council has recently launched a partnership with green tech company Thermly to trial a heat pump ready scheme.
The scheme could help up to 40,000 homeowners install heat pumps through a pilot online suitability assessment which makes it quick and easy to work out if a heat pump is a suitable option for their home and connect them with local heat pump installers.
It can help people take advantage of £7,500 in government funding available to support installations – with Thermly also offering an additional £1,000 bonus to the first twenty viable homes in Somerset to install a heat pump.
Retrofit Somerset is initially focussing on homes in rural locations in the southeast of Somerset with plans to eventually roll out the scheme across the county.
Interested homeowners in southeast Somerset can find out if their home is suitable for a heat pump at the Thermly website. Terms and conditions apply which include a list of the current scheme’s viable locations in the area.
Heat pumps are in high demand as a low-emission energy efficient heating solution in the UK. They work by collecting heat from an external source of air, ground, or water – and then concentrate the heat using a pump, making them three times more efficient than a gas boiler. They are basically a fridge working in reverse pumping concentrated heat into the home heating system from external sources.
Because they are more energy efficient, they produce less greenhouse gas emissions. A typical air source heat pump produces 850kg of CO2 per year compared to gas boilers producing 2,500 kg of CO2 and oil-fired heating 5,200 kg, plus the carbon impact of delivering the oil to homes.
In Somerset, it is thought that around 7,300 homes have already installed heat pumps, while 277,000 need to be installed by 2050 to meet decarbonisation requirements and to support more energy efficient heating solutions for householders in Somerset.
It is estimated that nationally nearly 100,000 people search for heat pumps online each month, but installations have not kept pace with this demand.
Councillor Dixie Darch, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Environment and Climate Change said
“As a key partner of Retrofit Somerset, we are committed to transforming Somerset’s housing stock through sustainable solutions. By promoting energy-efficient upgrades, we aim to create a greener, more sustainable county and communities. This new partnership with Thermly will accelerate the adoption of heat pumps in Somerset and will make a significant impact on reducing carbon emissions.”
Chris Gaskell, from Retrofit Somerset, said:
“As a project looking at ways to overcome barriers to delivering retrofit action across Somerset, we are delighted to partner with the Thermly platform. It will help homeowners identify if their home is suitable for upgrading their heating to a heat pump. This will help reduce the use of high carbon-emitting fossil fuels and allow them to heat their homes and water with a more energy efficient technology. The Thermly app will also help homeowners connect to local heat pump installers to make their installation journey as easy and efficient as possible. We look forward to working together to help more people get a heat pump installed.”
Gareth Robertson, one of the founders of Thermly, said:
“We are on a mission to change the way we heat our homes. At Thermly, we make it super simple to install a heat pump by helping you work out if one is right for you, matching you with the right local installer and helping you access finance quickly if you need it. This locally driven partnership is the first-of-its-kind in the UK, and we are excited that such a green-minded community are as keen as us to future-proof homes and move us all towards more sustainable energy choices.”
For more information about Retrofit Somerset, explore www.retrofitsomerset.info
