Electric Heatpumps.

Ethan336: 
A plumber who doesn't like heat pumps, who would've guessed?

Makes absolutely no argument against heat pumps except he thinks it isn't going to be any cleaner than a gas boiler. 

If you have a heat pump with a lowly 2 C.O.P, then you put 1kW in and get 2kW out. The initial 1kW is 25% renewable, 21% nuclear, and the rest is imported or fossil fuels. I put 1kW of gas into my boiler, that is what I get out (minus efficiency losses of course) - which is 100% fossil fuel.

As for the cost side of things, I haven't looked into that and he mentions it - but doesn't address it at all (perhaps he can't because it's cheaper and that invalidates his argument ??) I will definitely be considering getting a heat pump, especially with rising costs of gas.

Running costs of heat pumps are the biggest stumbling block. At the moment, if I decided I wanted to change over I would need to find a heat pump capable of at least 4.8 C.O.P at 80C flow for 0C outside temp to compete with my gas boiler on cost grounds. With the norm for ASHP being around 2.7-3 and a much lower flow temp I don't see that happening soon.

Interestingly, I am currently involved with a major project for a local businessman where we have installed a large ASHP setup to heat his house which he is extending. Despite not being short of money he has been moaning about the ASHP running costs (currently £20-30k/year). Due to large areas of glazing he also wanted a/c to cool about 14 rooms so we've fitted a VRV system which enables it to extract heat from those rooms which need cooling and dump it into the hot water or heating systems. Result, free hot water! 

I feel this would be a better approach for heating houses than trying to get heat pumps to replace gas boilers. Should we go down the road of the USA with new houses having central air systems ducted to each room? Should be better and more efficient than trying to heat up water/floors through UFH and allows for cooling in those sweltering hot summers we get!

Ethan336: 
A plumber who doesn't like heat pumps, who would've guessed?

Makes absolutely no argument against heat pumps except he thinks it isn't going to be any cleaner than a gas boiler. 

If you have a heat pump with a lowly 2 C.O.P, then you put 1kW in and get 2kW out. The initial 1kW is 25% renewable, 21% nuclear, and the rest is imported or fossil fuels. I put 1kW of gas into my boiler, that is what I get out (minus efficiency losses of course) - which is 100% fossil fuel.

As for the cost side of things, I haven't looked into that and he mentions it - but doesn't address it at all (perhaps he can't because it's cheaper and that invalidates his argument ??) I will definitely be considering getting a heat pump, especially with rising costs of gas.

Running costs of heat pumps are the biggest stumbling block. At the moment, if I decided I wanted to change over I would need to find a heat pump capable of at least 4.8 C.O.P at 80C flow for 0C outside temp to compete with my gas boiler on cost grounds. With the norm for ASHP being around 2.7-3 and a much lower flow temp I don't see that happening soon.

Interestingly, I am currently involved with a major project for a local businessman where we have installed a large ASHP setup to heat his house which he is extending. Despite not being short of money he has been moaning about the ASHP running costs (currently £20-30k/year). Due to large areas of glazing he also wanted a/c to cool about 14 rooms so we've fitted a VRV system which enables it to extract heat from those rooms which need cooling and dump it into the hot water or heating systems. Result, free hot water! 

I feel this would be a better approach for heating houses than trying to get heat pumps to replace gas boilers. Should we go down the road of the USA with new houses having central air systems ducted to each room? Should be better and more efficient than trying to heat up water/floors through UFH and allows for cooling in those sweltering hot summers we get!