What the hell is a heat pump? With Bean Beanland

Heat pump expert Bean Beanland is first guest on Positive Energy podcast
Boiler Upgrade Scheme makes it easier than ever to get a heat pump
£7,500 is available per household through the scheme
Now is the best time to transition away from fossil fuel for your home
Watch the podcast on YouTube below to find out why

Click on the image above to watch episode 1 of Positive Energy – powered by The Eco Experts, with heat pumps expert Bean Beanland (centre) in conversation with host Chris Hambling (right) and editor Roland Ellison (left)

In the first of The Eco Experts new series of Positive Energy podcasts, we spoke to Bean Beanland from the Heat Pump Federation about the hot topic of heat pumps.

A Physics graduate from Imperial College, Beanland is an Associate of the Royal College of Science with more than 16 years’ experience working on the installation of heat pumps across the country. He also advises the government on its decarbonisation policy.

With a recent National Audit Office report citing a lack of public awareness as a key reason for the government falling behind on its target to install 600,ooo heat pumps a year by 2028, we thought it would be a good time to ask questions like: what the hell is a heat pump? How do they work? How easy are they to install? Are they suitable for your home? What’s it like to own one?

We also wanted to ask him about some of the common myths and misconceptions about heat pumps – for example that they ‘don’t work’, that they are ‘not suitable for the UK climate/housing stock’, or that they are ‘noisy’.

With changes to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme coming into force today (8 May), there is no longer a requirement to have loft and cavity wall installed to be able to access the £7,500 in government funding, so it’s now easier and more affordable than ever to make the switch away from fossil fuels for your home.

As Beanland says, heating and hot water account for as much as 80% of your household’s carbon footprint, so it makes a lot of sense to start thinking about making the transition now – particularly while the government is willing to pay a significant part of the bill.

Get a free quote for a heat pump for your home by using our quick quote tool.