Alpha has called on the government to provide better support for homeowners looking to take steps in making their home heating more sustainable.

Currently, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which was introduced by the previous government to promote energy efficiency in the home and reduce carbon emissions, is falling short by not including hybrid heating systems in its remit.

The scheme works to support the decarbonisation of heat in buildings by offering:

• £7,500 off the cost and installation of an air source heat pump,
• £7,500 off the cost and installation of ground and water source heat pumps, or
• £5,000 off the cost and installation of a biomass boiler

Research conducted by Alpha this year found that despite 74% of UK household billpayers claiming they care about the carbon footprint of their home, only 38% would be likely to opt for a non-fossil-fuel-based system. Cost was called out as the primary barrier to making a change to a more sustainable heating appliance.

Making the switch to a standalone heat pump system is often not an easy decision due to the necessary upgrades required to the home, in addition to the price tag of the appliance itself. For a heat pump to work at its highest efficiency, homeowners need to ensure their home is very well insulated and may also have to upgrade certain pipework and radiators.

It has been reported that only 18,900 heat pumps were installed between May 2022 and December 2023, a significant shortfall from the government’s 50,000 target.

In a bid to make sustainable heating technology accessible to more UK households, Alpha is calling for hybrid systems to be included in the government scheme. A hybrid heating system pairs a traditional gas boiler with a heat pump. These two elements act in tandem with smart controls which work to combine live energy prices with the outdoor temperature. This then provides consistent heating and instant hot water.

Andrea Carmeli, Managing Director at Alpha, comments: “The research we carried out here at Alpha shows that 53% of UK billpayers would likely take advantage of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme if hybrids were included.”

Alpha is suggesting a grant amount of £2,500 for hybrid systems. Compared with the £7,500 available for a heat pump installation, this means that the current funding could help three times the number of households venture into renewable heating.

“The crucial point here is that hybrids offer an 80-90% carbon reduction compared to a standalone gas boiler,” says Carmeli. “So, in terms of overall environmental benefit, it makes sense to encourage more homes to take this transitionary step.

“The disappointing uptake figures of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme send a clear signal that it is failing in its current form to provide a sufficient incentive for enough homes to make this vital move to renewable heating technology. By helping a greater number of British homeowners adopt a hybrid system, we can truly accelerate the UK’s journey to more sustainable home heating.”