Powering Homes News: page 105
- March 2022
Aereco introduces the Heatpex Aria range
Aereco has announced the Heatpex Aria ventilation and heat recovery system, a semi-rigid ducting range for single-family houses that the company says meets the ATC1 airtightness class.
E3G publishes nine-step home energy security plan
E3G has published a nine-step demand-side plan it says would cut Russian gas imports by 80 per cent this year and save households an average of £150.
British Gas completes first air source heat pump installation in Devon
British Gas has completed its first air source heat pump installation for a household customer, at a home in Ivybridge, Devon, fitted through its partnership with Daikin.
geo and Vaillant white paper warns lack of appliance interoperability could cost billions in energy savings
A white paper from geo and Vaillant warns that without common standards for heat pumps, EV chargers and appliances, households could lose billions in energy savings by 2050.
CCC publishes independent assessment of the UK Heat and Buildings Strategy
The Climate Change Committee has published an independent assessment of the UK Government's Heat and Buildings Strategy, finding ambition but gaps in funding, policy detail and supply chain capacity.
European Commission announces REPowerEU plan to end dependence on Russian fossil fuels
The European Commission has set out REPowerEU, a plan to cut demand for Russian gas by two thirds before the end of 2022 through diversified supplies, faster renewables and less gas in heating.
ev.energy launches Smart Schedule feature in its app
ev.energy has added a Smart Schedule to its charging app, letting drivers set a different ready by time for each day of the week, with an Override Schedule for one-off charges.
Scottish Government publishes easy read version of Heat in Buildings Strategy
The Scottish Government has published an easy read version of its Heat in Buildings Strategy, restating the goal of zero emissions buildings and plans for a National Public Energy Agency.
Note added on Domestic RHI closure and Boiler Upgrade Scheme successor
A government page on the Renewable Heat Incentive was updated on 4 March 2022 with a note that the Domestic RHI scheme had closed and that the Boiler Upgrade Scheme would succeed it.
Rinnai announces Sensei N Series continuous flow hot water range for the UK
Rinnai UK has published details of its Sensei N Series, four continuous flow hot water heaters that it says are the first such units sold in the UK with stainless steel heat exchangers.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme launched
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme opened in March 2022, offering upfront grants towards heat pumps and some biomass boilers in England and Wales, administered by Ofgem and running to 2028.
Chancellor announces further £500 million for the Household Support Fund
The Chancellor announced a further £500 million for the Household Support Fund in the March 2022 Spring Statement, bringing total funding for the scheme to £1 billion since October 2021.
CLC reported boilers among products with supply chain issues
In March 2022 the Construction Leadership Council reported generally good stock levels across industrial products but named boilers among the key items facing supply chain issues and delays.
European Commission publishes REPowerEU
The European Commission published REPowerEU in March 2022, a week after the International Energy Agency set out a ten-point plan to cut reliance on Russian fossil fuels.
Funding paid to billing authorities
The government paid Council Tax Rebate funding to English billing authorities in March 2022, ahead of £150 payments to households in bands A to D from April.
Government committed to phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2022
The government has said it will phase out imports of Russian oil and oil products by the end of 2022, working with industry through a new Taskforce on Oil.
Government publishes response to PAC report on the Green Homes Grant
BEIS has answered the Public Accounts Committee's criticism of the Green Homes Grant, accepting an unrealistic timetable and promising better design, contractor checks and an evaluation due in August 2023.
Government publishes updated Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy pledging up to £1.6bn
The government published an updated Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy in March 2022, pledging up to £1.6bn of public funding for charging infrastructure across the UK.
Green Homes Grant scheme closes
The Green Homes Grant, which covered up to two-thirds of the cost of energy efficiency works in England, closed in March 2022, leaving households to look to successor schemes.
Helicopter airlift delivers materials for Aultbea-Ullapool network upgrade
SSEN Distribution has airlifted 162 wooden poles and overhead line equipment by helicopter along an 18km route between Slattadale and Aultbea as part of a £14.2m network upgrade in the North West Highlands.
Nesta report says heat pumps could soon be cheaper than gas boilers over 15-year lifetime
Nesta analysis of 60,000 UK heat pump installations finds that, with three policy and market changes plus a £5,000 grant, heat pumps could cost £60 to £110 a year less than gas boilers over a 15-year life.
Ofgem publishes single decision covering consultation parts 1 and 2
Ofgem has published its single decision on the ECO4 scoring methodology consultation parts 1 and 2, setting out how energy efficiency measures will be scored under the scheme from 2022.
Russia threatens to close major gas pipeline to Europe
Russia has threatened to close a major gas pipeline to Europe in retaliation for countries considering bans on Russian oil imports, a move that could raise prices even in countries that use little Russian gas.
Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund began delivery
The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund began delivering energy efficiency measures in March 2022, part of a year in which government-backed scheme installations fell 55 per cent.
Spring Statement 2022 expands the VAT relief for ESMs in Great Britain
The government has expanded VAT relief on energy saving materials in Great Britain, setting a temporary zero rate until 31 March 2027 and reinstating wind and water turbines as qualifying materials.
SSEN begins £2.49 million infrastructure upgrade in Bournemouth
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks has started a £2.49 million project to replace underground cables between two Bournemouth substations, serving 11,500 customers in the Victoria Park area.
Sutton control software fault identified and temporary fix applied
Monitoring of an Energiesprong retrofit in Sutton found the standard control software was not activating the heat pump, and a temporary control algorithm was applied to the affected homes.
- February 2022
Dimplex issues product safety notice for Solar Collector FK8000, SOL202COL
Dimplex has published a product safety notice dated 28 February 2022 covering its Solar Collector FK8000 and SOL202COL, adding the solar thermal part to a page that also carries earlier notices.
Draft regulations laid before the House
The draft Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales) Regulations 2022 were laid before Parliament on 25 February 2022, setting up capital grants for heat pumps and, in limited cases, biomass boilers.
UK Government releases new fuel poverty statistics for England
Government figures show 3.16 million English households in fuel poverty in 2020, and the charity National Energy Action warns current progress would take over 60 years to meet statutory targets.