Embracing Sustainable Energy: Heat Pumps and How to Save the Planet
As a part of an environmentally conscious community, we need to take responsibility for every aspect of our lives that we can make sustainable.
We can do this daily, from recycling to being smart with which products we buy in the supermarket. But there is one exponential way that we need to save our planet.
Energy sources and production are necessary for our community, but what happens when we can’t produce more? Will the planet go dark?
Switching to sustainable energy sources has never been more critical than in today’s society. And something as simple as changing a nonrenewable energy source that heats your home into a heat pump will ensure the future stays bright.
5 Major Benefits of Installing Heat Pumps
Here are five significant benefits you can reap by installing heat pumps in your home.
1. Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
One of heat pumps' most significant environmental benefits is that they produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional heating systems. This means you could contribute to a more sustainable future while heating your home.
As heat pumps use electricity to power a compressor, rather than burning fossil fuels like gas boilers, you will significantly reduce carbon emissions and your property's carbon footprint.
2. Energy Efficiency
As previously mentioned, the energy we use globally is at the heart of our daily lives.
Without this, we would be lost. Therefore, the best course of action is to be smart about how we create this energy, how efficient the systems that produce it are, and our energy consumption.
Heat pumps are typically more energy efficient than the traditional heating systems in many homes that haven’t already switched to sustainable technology. Heat pumps are up to 300% efficient, almost three times as efficient as a standard gas boiler!
Not only does energy efficiency impact our environment, but it can also result in lower energy bills for your home. This money-saving incentive is just one of the many benefits of being environmentally friendly.
3. Making a Future For Younger Generations
We all have fond memories of our childhood. And we often find ourselves reminiscing about our time playing in the park, visiting the beach, and being immersed in the world around us.
Don’t you want this for future generations to come?
Sustainable energy and reducing energy creation that damages the atmosphere and feeds into global warming is a step toward ensuring a secure future for our planet.
Over time, our efforts will prove meaningful, with around 40% of the UK’s electricity being made from solar, wind, hydropower and biomass in 2022. The 5% rise between 2021 and 2022 proves that progress is being made towards an increase in renewable energy usage.
4. Saving the World… And Money
We previously discussed how energy efficiency within your home could decrease your electric bills. And there’s no denying this is an attractive incentive for an alternative and sustainable energy source.
But this isn’t the only way heat pumps in your home will save you money.
Heat pumps are a great way to invest in your financial future, from low operating costs, reduced maintenance costs, and a longer lifespan to government incentives.
5. Get Help Towards Your Sustainable Future - Heat Pump Grants
You’re not alone in your journey towards a sustainable future. Over the past few years, the government has provided great money-saving incentives to influence homeowners to switch to renewable energy.
The UK government's efforts for a renewable future are often referred to as starting in 2010 when the Feed-in Tariff began. The scheme meant companies would buy solar panels for you and drastically reduce upfront costs.
The government continued supporting this environmentally friendly movement by installing the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme. This scheme ran from 2011 to 2022, and the successful applicants could receive payments for the energy they created, using the new sustainable systems for up to 7 years.
Today, the new Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is the latest scheme striving towards a brighter future. Launched on the 23rd of May 2022, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is available on any installation commissioned from the 1st of April onwards.
This scheme is evidence that the government recognises that we need to change how our homes are heated, and their efforts over the last 20 years prove how climate change and carbon emissions are at the forefront of the population's mind.
Air Source Heat Pump Grants
The new Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers air source heat pump grants, including a £5,000
voucher towards installing an air source heat pump or £6,000 towards a ground source heat pump.
This grant may only cover part of the overall cost to install a heat pump, so homeowners will still need to pay a sum towards it. But these heat pump grants are a great way to save money while preserving the world.
Educating on Environmentally Friendly Options
The UK government hopes to meet the net-zero emissions target by 2050, and their help in the community towards a sustainable future contributes to this goal. Educating groups on environmentally friendly options, whether for the energy to heat your home or cautious recycling, is crucial.
Want to know more? Here are 12 things you probably didn’t know about heat pumps.