Parliament heat pump drive suspended over ‘noise complaints’


Heat pumps can be too noisy and too power hungry even for net zero supporters it seems. The public aren’t too impressed by them either, judging by the lack of sales. Government propaganda about an imagined climate crisis is having little effect when it comes to home heating choices.
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A planned rollout of heat pumps in Parliament has been paused amid concerns over their noise and effectiveness, The Telegraph can reveal.

There are three air source heat pumps in the House of Commons buildings, but no new installations have been made since 2022, according to data released under the Freedom of Information Act.

And a report – seen by the The Telegraph – into the feasibility of installing a new heat pump into the modern office block, Portcullis House, raised significant concerns over their acoustics and power supply.

It has plunged Labour into a fresh hypocrisy row as opposition MPs said it was proof heat pumps “don’t work” – despite the Government’s push to install them into residential homes.

Richard Tice, Reform MP, said: “Parliament has installed three heat pumps, and every one of them has faced complaints for consuming too much electricity and generating excessive noise.

“Despite this, Labour pushes ahead with forcing the rest of us to adopt them, while refusing to use heat pumps themselves.”

He added: “This perfectly highlights just how out of touch our leadership is with the British public.”
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One parliamentary staffer said that Portcullis House was “always freezing”, and that their colleagues often complained about their working conditions.
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Complaints from homeowners about heat pumps have focused on the noise of up to 60 decibels that they make, as well as the space they take up.

In November last year, Labour relaxed planning rules for heat pumps, meaning homeowners could install the devices within a metre of their neighbour’s property.

Full article here.
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Image: Domestic Air Source Heat Pump [credit: UK Alternative Energy]

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February 16, 2025 at 07:47AM

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