The expense!
“Why would I want to use electricity to heat my home when it is so expensive compared to gas?”
Our suggestions
Yes, electricity is expensive compared to gas, but heat-pumps are an efficient way of using an expensive but (mainly) greener fuel. Fossil fuels generally do not carry the cost of the environmental damage they do, and the energy pricing mechanism needs reform - you could write to your MP about this.
While we wait for government action, you can make your home more energy-efficient by sealing draughts[3], insulating, double-glazing etc, and then by generating your own renewable energy by installing solar panels, heat pumps, storage batteries…
“How can I afford all the kit: solar panels, a heat pump, storage batteries, double-glazing…?”
Our suggestions
Energy costs are likely to rise, so if you reduce your consumption via solar panels, a heat-pump and/or energy storage you will benefit and slowly recover the cost – you should treat retrofitting as a long-term investment. It takes something like 10 years to get back the initial outlay in lower energy bills, so you probably need to invest while you are young enough to benefit and likely to stay in the same house long enough to recoup the outlay.
But, increasingly, retrofitting for energy efficiency will add to the value of the house and you will you will recoup the outlay if you sell - see Delve deeper at the bottom of this page for more on this.
If you need to replace an ageing gas boiler, or make other changes to your heating system, you should seriously consider investing in a heat-pump and other energy-efficient retrofits. For the majority of small and medium-sized houses the cost of a heat pump will not be materially higher than a new boiler if you take advantage of available grants, and heat pumps are 5-10% cheaper to run.
You could also think about your positive future impact on the environment, and the positive influence on friends and neighbouts.
“How can I persuade my family/spouse/partner that retrofitting - solar panels, heat pumps, storage batteries, double-glazing, even heavy curtains – is worth the expense?”
Our suggestions
See above and present it as an investment. If practical/economic arguments don’t work, you could try the need to mitigate the climate crisis and the impacts you could make on the environment and future generations, your children and grandchildren.
“Can I access any grants or subsidies?”
Our suggestions
Subsidies, incentives and loans which could spread or soften the big capital outlay are not well publicised or commonly known about, and they frequently change. See Kingston Council's Energy-Saving Hub for current guidance on this and related issues. Octopus Energy summarises cashbacks at and the Uswitch website lists grants you may be eligible for.
Banks and building societies may offer loans for green upgrades on good terms, e g, Green Additional Borrowing | Nationwide.
Doubts about efficiency
Heat-pumps: “I’ve heard that they don’t produce enough heat and don’t work in cold weather when you need them most.”
“Heat pumps are complicated to set up and run, not at all user- friendly.”
Our advice
Heat pumps are used in climates much colder than ours, e g, in Canada and Scandinavia. You do have to get used to a slower, gentler heat running for longer with a more even heat than the larger temperature fluctuations that can happen with boilers.
Set-up is more complicated than earlier central heating systems and needs experienced and expert installers. Recall them if the system is not operating satisfactorily; once properly adjusted to your requirements, the system should run smoothly with few problems and less maintenance than a gas boiler.
The user-friendliness can be improved by using phone-apps such as Homely or Havenwise to control the heat pump system and make the operation as easy, if not easier, than a boiler to operate.
Maintenance: if you are happy with your installer ask them for advice about maintenance and cleaning – or ask TTK Energy Group.
Solar panels: “We don’t have enough sun in this country for solar panels to work.”
Our response
We do have enough sun and daylight for solar panels to work and produce useful amounts of electricity: your MCS-approved supplier will be able to predict how much your array of solar panels will produce over a year. Adding storage batteries (much smaller and cheaper than they used to be) to your equipment will enable you to use your solar-generated electricity at night too.
Maintenance: if you are happy with your installer ask them for advice about occasional cleaning to maintain the efficiency of your solar panels – or ask TTK Energy Group.
Installers
“How do I find an efficient, well-trained installer?”
Our suggestions
Though improving as demand grows, skills and knowledge in the building industry are not yet uniformly high enough (watch Grand Designs on TV to see the top end of the problem!). Look for an MCS-approved installer or ask someone who has recently retrofitted a property for local recommendations.
Suggestion to installers: traders would be well advised to future-proof their jobs and businesses by finding out more about installing solar panels and heat-pumps and taking any training opportunities on offer – they may well find that installing heat-pumps is no more difficult than installing gas boilers. Visit the Retrofit Academy website to view options, and click this link to register your interest in training.
Disruption
“Retrofitting is very disruptive - changing radiators, installing under-floor heating etc…”
Our advice
It depends! You will not need to change radiators if your existing radiators have spare capacity (they probably do), or if you opt for a high temperature heat-pump. If you opt for a standard heat-pump, which is more efficient, you will need to think about how you use your house and which rooms really need to be cosy, and which could afford to be cooler. You may then want to increase the size of a few radiators in, e g, in your sitting room, but you really do not have to change them all or install under-floor heating. Replacing a single radiator with a double and/or taller radiator in the same space is not particularly disruptive. If you are replacing a floor, it might be worth considering under-floor heating but not otherwise.
Lack of space
“I live in a flat so can’t install a heat pump or solar panels. What can I do?” “I don’t have space for all this kit.”
Our suggestions
If you live in a terrace house or a flat you may well lack obvious places to put a heat pump or solar panels, but check how much space you really need, indoors and out – it may be less than you think as the necessary equipment requires less space than it used to.
Some resistance from planning departments and/or neighbours or residents’ committees to less obvious places such as balconies or front gardens may have to be overcome. Plug-in solar panels on balconies are used in other countries, though not legal here yet, but that could change – more here.
If all else fails, you can support the renewable energy industry by buying your electricity from a supplier such as Ecotricity or Good Energy.
Noise
“Heat pumps are very noisy.”
Our advice
No, they are not! Air-source heat-pumps have fans, so they make a similar noise to an air-conditioning unit or a gas boiler, and newer models make less noise than older ones. To avoid potential noise from vibration, make sure your heat-pump is properly installed by an MCS- approved installer.
Visit and listen to a heat pump in someone’s home or a showroom, and treat what rival salesmen tell you about the noisiness of competing heat-pumps with some scepticism.
Planning
“I live in a conservation area – how can I get planning permission for these changes to my property?”
Our advice
Planning regulations, and caution in planning departments about legal challenges, can be issues. Heat pumps are permitted development but not if they’re too close to neighbours’ windows or on the road elevation in conservation areas. See Kingston Council's Energy-Saving Hub for guidance and updates on this and related issues.
Kingston Council declared a climate emergency some years ago and this should influence planning decisions.
Condensation and mould
“I’ve heard that sealing draughts and insulation do more harm than good, leading to condensation, mould and rot (sometimes hidden).”
Our advice
Much depends on the installer/home-owner understanding that sealing draughts needs care. Older houses needed draughts for coal and gas fires to function properly and so condensation was never a problem; draught-proofed and centrally-heated modern homes still need some ventilation. So don’t undertake a range of changes like blocking up chimneys, fitting external or internal insulation, installing double glazing etc without consulting an architect or surveyor. Building Regulations require you to ensure ventilation to reduce the risk of condensation and mould growth.
Some problems of condensation are caused by life-style (e g, drying laundry indoors) and if you spot condensation anywhere, it’s a sign that you need more ventilation. We recommend heat-recovery ventilation systems, size and number depending on the size of your home and your life-style.
Insulation, coupled with vapour barriers, can help to avoid cold damp spots, e g on walls and ceilings, in the spaces between ceilings and the floors above, and in the loft. If you do spot mould, clean it off with bleach or a proprietary cleaner to avoid health issues, but unless you cure the cause and improve ventilation, it will return.
If draughts are not causing problems (of comfort or wasted heat) in your home, a safe option would be to leave things much as they are.
Rented housing
“I live in rented property – how do I persuade my landlord to retrofit? Are there things I can do for myself in my rented home?”
Our advice
Find out about Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and your rights and responsibilities as a private tenant or landlord at https://www.kingston.gov.uk/climate-and-sustainability/energy-saving-hub/privately-rented-housing
- for landlords: though landlords are unlikely to carry out extensive energy efficiency improvements that will benefit tenants more than owners, they can benefit from improvements that improve the energy rating, and which protect their properties from damp, condensation, mould…, e g, heat exchange ventilators. Be prepared - 2030 is the proposed final deadline for all privately rented properties to achieve an EPC rating of B or C.
Octopus have introduced a tariff to share the benefits of retrofits with landlords.
- for tenants: though tenants can’t make significant improvements to rented property, they may be able to make life-style changes, such as not drying clothes indoors, or cost-effective improvements such as changing to LED lightbulbs, sealing draughty windows, placing foil behind radiators, hanging insulated blinds or curtains…
The climate crisis and short-term v long-term perspectives in politics
The problem: a political system which rarely thinks beyond the next election does not favour the environment: “The difference between a politician and a statesman is that a politician thinks about the next elections, while the statesman thinks about the next generation.” (Winston Churchill)
Our view: Whatever the cost of action and legislation on energy and reducing our carbon emissions, the cost of not taking action will be far higher, as climate scientists and some economists have been warning for decades.[4] Politicians need to take this on board (as many insurance companies already do).
But in the meantime, as Rob Hopkins, Transition movement founder wrote: "... If we wait for the governments, it'll be too little, too late. If we act as individuals, it'll be too little. But if we act as communities, it might just be enough, just in time."
Delve deeper -
If you’d like more information or detail on some of the above themes, see:
- The Directionally Good Life | Dan Curran | Substack
- The Energy section of this website
- Earth Notes: Saving The Planet @Home
- Energy Saving Hub | Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
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On the impact of retrofits on the value of your home see:
https://evolverenewables.co.uk/the-impact-of-renewable-energy-on-property-values-in-the-uk/
or https://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/residential-solar/the-costs-and-benefits-of-adding-renewable-energy-to-buildings
or https://thegreenhomeco.com/eco-friendly-home-improvements-that-boost-your-property-value/
Endnotes
[1] Retrofitting includes cavity wall and loft insulation, double-glazing, solar panels, heat-pumps, storage batteries…
[2] Fossil fuels (gas, oil, coal…) produce greenhouse gases when burnt, either in the home or in power stations. Wood is not a clean or properly renewable fuel as it creates emissions when burnt and grows more slowly than it can be harvested and burnt.
[3] Don’t forget that you still need ventilation