Heat pumps will not work in older UK homes that are lacking the necessary space and insulation, the UK boss of one of the largest producers of heat pumps and gas boilers has warned.
Touted by the government as one of the key technologies to help reduce carbon emissions from home heating, Bosch UK managing director Vonjy Rajakoba said heat pumps are a great solution for new homes but much of the UK’s Victorian housing stock is unsuitable for installing them as they lack the room to accommodate the larger system.
“At low temperatures, you need well-insulated homes, you also need space for heat pumps for the external unit and also the tank, so you need to have the sort of home which is adequate around the heat pumps,” Rajakoba said in an interview.
He noted that hydrogen-burning boilers were the more suitable option for older homes as the gas becomes cheaper to produce.
“We think in the UK with the fleet of Victorian houses or period houses and so on, hydrogen, or in the interim, hydrogen-ready boilers are the solution,” he said.
“It's important really to emphasize that it's not hydrogen against heat pumps, there's a space for both technologies.”
The UK’s gas network is being upgraded with plastic pipes to accept hydrogen gas, with the government considering mandating that all new domestic boilers sold from 2026 must be hydrogen-ready – though parliament's Environment and Climate Change Committee recently said hydrogen is “not a serious option” for the short to medium-term.
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