Updated regulations coming into effect this month should make it easier for homeowners to punt for low carbon energy options.
From 29th May, the UK Government’s Warm Homes Plan will remove a number of restrictions seen by installers as major obstacles. This includes abolishing the rule that no air source heat pump can be installed within one metre of a property boundary, and increasing the maximum size under permitted development to 1.5m³ from 0.6m³. Detached home will also now be able to fit up to two systems.
This means air-to-air heat pumps which provide cooling and heating will now benefit from the same legislation as air-to-water, something the industry has long-since campaigned for. Under a Freedom of Information request, heat pump giant Aira found delays of up to six months were linked to planning permission issues, costing homeowners thousands and slowing decarbonisation.
At the time of writing, 600,000 heat pumps should be installed by 2028 under the government’s own target regime. Although progress had been slow to begin with, 2024 saw a leap in the number of systems fitted, with 100,000 completed that year.
‘Today, up to half of all gas boiler installations are distressed purchases – consumers buying a new boiler to replace an old one that has broken down,’ said Daniel Sarefjord, CEO at Aira UK. These people won’t wait two to six months for planning permission because you can’t live without heating and hot water for that long.
‘This absurd policy affected up to 40% of our customers, that’s why we have campaigned for years to reform permitted development rights and make it easier for homeowners to replace their fossil fuelled gas or oil boiler with an eco-friendly heat pump,’ Sarefjord continued. ‘Residential heat pumps have come a very long way since permitted development rights were last reviewed. By removing outdated planning policy barriers, the government will help the industry to focus resources on installing more heat pumps, creating thousands of new roles within the green skills workforce across the country.’
Image: Sven Mieke / Unsplash
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