How Can I Access the RHI with Heat Pumps?

 

 

Bound by pacts and treaties internationally, the UK has set energy targets and need to be producing 15% of the total energy from renewable sources by 2020. According to the Guardian, we are set to fall short of these renewable energy targets with the current percentage lying at 3% compared with the European average of 12%, despite the series of high-profile government policies which have been specifically targeted at the renewable energy market.

 

One of these policies is the Renewable Heat Incentive, more commonly known as the RHI. Similar to the Feed-in Tariffs which cover electricity, the RHI is a fixed payment for the renewable heat you generate yourselves. There is however some fundamental differences between the two tariffs. Firstly the incentive will be paid for by the Treasury not by energy users and as there is no ‘National Grid for Heat’ unlike the Feed-In Tariff you cannot be paid for surplus energy. Finally, the RHI does not currently cover all premises, with residential schemes only eligible after Phase 2. You can find more advice about the RHI here.

There are three steps to the RHI, firstly you need to install renewable heat systems into your property, secondly measure how much heat the system is producing and then you will get a fixed payment based on the output, technology and size of system. The following technologies are eligible: biomass boilers, biogas combustion, deep geothermal, air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, solar thermal and water source heat pumps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heat pumps are growing in popularity, as a way in which you can generate your own heat energy, and when phase two of the RHI is released, it would be a safe assumption to say that like solar panels following the Feed-In Tariff there will be a boom in the number of people investing in technologies like air source and ground source heat pumps.

Air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps work in much the same way as each other as they both draw heat externally – from the air or the ground which is compressed to heat a water tank. The best thing about them of course, is that once they have been installed they will instantly start saving you money by lowering fuel bills by both heating your water and your home.

It is getting easier to install heat pumps too, with many County Councils  in the UK – Norfolk being one of them overriding the planning permission regulations make it even easier for the green technology to be used.

The current RHI legislation does not cover all premises but it is hoped that when Phase 2 is rolled out the incentives will become open to all. The authorities alone cannot change the rate in which our carbon footprint is spiralling out of control, it will take input and effort from citizens living across the world to change the shape of the situation and installing a heat pump is one way you can help to make this change.

Bio:  Rebecca Field writes on behalf of RA Brown, a specialist heating company installing heat pumps in Norfolk and across East Anglia.

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