The Government have announced their new 10 Point Plan for what they have described as a ‘Green Industrial Revolution’. The plan is designed to make the nations homes, schools and hospitals both environmentally greener and warmer. Intending to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, it is one of the most ambitious plans in tackling carbon emissions by any U.K government.
To achieve this target, there will need to be a radical rethink of how the nation heats its homes. Currently, heating our homes accounts for a staggering one-third of the nations overall carbon emissions. As part of this rethink, the Future Homes Standard could be brought forward. This would mean that new homes would need to be heated without gas earlier than previously announced and that developers have less time to adjust. In place of gas, the government are encouraging alternative heat sources such as heat pumps with a new target to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028. That’s 20 times more than are currently being installed!
As underfloor heating covers a greater surface area than radiators, it can run at lower temperatures; 45°C rather than 80°C. This means the demand underfloor heating places on energy sources is significantly less, making them an ideal heating system for use with heat pumps or solar panels – a key consideration for housebuilders in the run-up to the gas boiler ban.
Here at WMS, we believe more efficient lower-temperature heating systems will further help in reducing the nations carbon footprint. We support the government’s plan and its vision to build a warmer and environmentally greener nation.
