The Government has already recognised the value of heat pumps in helping reduce household fuel bills and lowering the nation’s overall emissions levels, with the Committee on Climate Change forecasting that heat pump sales will rise to over one million units per year by 2030… now we just need to get the public on board. Will celebrity endorsement and an increase in TV advertising for heat pumps usher in an increased awareness of the true value of sustainable heating?
Industry leaders in heat pump technology Mitsubishi Electric have recently announced an association with TV presenter, architect, lecturer and writer, George Clarke, to help promote Ecodan air source heat pumps.
Best known for the Channel 4 programmes George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, The Home Show and Restoration Man, George Clarke is a passionate advocate of design excellence and high levels of quality in the construction industry.
In addition to his TV work, George is creative director of George Clarke + Partners and has set up the charity, Ministry of Building Innovation and Education (MOBIE) to inspire new generations into the building profession to “fundamentally transform” the way we think about, design and construct homes and bridge the skills gap.
The message is simple; if you’re looking to reduce your heating costs and carbon footprint, an air source heat pump will give you three times more heat for each unit of energy used to power it.
Joe Bradbury Assistant Editor of Housing Association magazine
Expert support
Regarding the pairing, Donald Daw, Commercial Director for Mitsubishi Electric Living Environment Systems, commented “For us, George is a perfect fit with Ecodan because he is such an inspiring pioneer and a real advocate of the need to build quality into the homes that the nation desperately needs.”
Mr Clarke will help promote renewable heating and write a monthly column on the company’s award-winning blogsite, TheHub.mitsubishielectric.co.uk, which covers a diverse range of informative and useful topics around energy use in buildings.
George Clarke added “We know we need to build a lot of homes each year to address the serious housing shortage but we also need to make sure that we build quality homes and they need to be built right across the country.
“The way we design, build, heat, power and recycle our homes needs to change and change quickly and renewable heating is an important part of our future.
“I’m therefore delighted to associate myself with the market-leading brand of heat pumps which are built here in the UK and which can help reduce energy bills and lower emissions for almost any home.”
TV exposure
It is obviously of financial interest to manufacturers that more people switch to heat pumps, and this can make increasingly curious people suspicious of the true intent of advertising.
However, the great thing about heat pumps is that they really do offer very real advantages to a user whilst simultaneously addressing the larger issue of climate change.
We are all in agreement that climate change needs to be addressed now.
With this in mind, there couldn’t be a more crucial time for heat pumps to start appearing on screens across the nation, and this is what has been happening steadily since leading energy supplier e.on started advertising air source heat pumps on TV.
Since the campaign stated in March, they have been steadily promoting the idea that heat from thin air can rapidly improve the way we heat our homes and the positive impact that this can have on people.
The message is simple; if you’re looking to reduce your heating costs and carbon footprint, an air source heat pump will give you three times more heat for each unit of energy used to power it.
According to E.ON you could save up to £360 per year on your heating bill compared to an oil-fired system using oil at 43p per litre (even more if you use LPG).
Thankfully, this powerful message is being broadcasted loud and clear across the nation. It is simple and powerful and if you’re still on the fence about heat pumps – the word from the top is that they really do work and will save you money.
They can improve your quality of life, the comfort of your home and the health and wellbeing of your planet.
