I don’t regret my heat pump, Says Eco Loon

By Paul Homewood

Shame on The Telegraph for falling for this piece of propaganda hook, line and sinker:

Heat pumps have copped some bad press recently, and it’s time to redress the balance.

I installed one in early 2022, and I love it. It is quiet, economical to run and keeps the house toasty. In my experience, there is nothing not to like.

It’s true that getting one installed does present some hurdles. The technology is still unfamiliar in Britain – where annual sales trail far behind those in Italy or Poland – and there aren’t yet enough qualified installers.

But make no mistake; heat pumps are here to stay. The Government has finally admitted that hydrogen will play no significant part in home heating, having scrapped two proposed hydrogen pilot projects, and it is preparing to ban “hydrogen ready” gas boilers in new-build properties from 2025.

That makes heat pumps the default technology for a lower carbon future, and if Labour wins power at the next election it plans to continue the heat pump roll

So everyone will need to get their heads around heat pumps soon enough. But if you’re thinking of having one installed right now, you’ll need to do a bit more research than you would to simply replace a combi boiler.

I had the advantage that I write about clean energy policy for a living and could tap professional contacts for advice. But it’s not that hard, I have no regrets and here are 12 things I’ve learned.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/net-zero/why-get-heat-pump/

As many commenters pointed out, the fact that Strahan writes about clean energy policy for a living rather destroys any credibility this article might have had.

But when you look at his specific claims, even he unwittingly destroys the case for heat pumps.

His system for a terrace house cost £11000, plus another £7000 to insulate two walls and the roof. (In Strahan’s world, govt subsidies mean that heta pumps are free).
He reckons his energy bills are £150 pa more than OFGEM’s price cap for a typical household. Given that he lives in a terrace house, he is probably paying about £500 more than a typical terrace.
To save money and emissions, he only heats the kitchen, lounge and bathroom
There is no mention of what he does for hot water, which his heat pump cannot supply.
Installation was an absolute pain.
Because his heat pump cannot heat his house up quickly, he has to keep the heat pump running for 18 hours a day.

Quite why the Telegraph agreed to print this rubbish is beyond me. But their readers certainly have not fallen for it!