Gas boiler makers have been warned they could be fined millions of pounds unless they hit a government pledge to install 600,000 heat pumps a year. Under a radical scheme to increase the uptake of carbon-neutral heating, companies offering conventional gas boilers will be given new targets to sell heat pumps to consumers. Controversially, manufacturers that fail to meet their allocation, based on their market share, could be fined up to £5,000 for each unit they fail to deliver. Ministers say the scheme, which will be phased in from 2024, is necessary to meet Britain’s carbon reduction targets and support a “transformation” in the home heating market. As well as being low carbon, heat pumps are cheaper to run than a conventional gas boiler and require less maintenance. They can also act as air-conditioning units in hot weather.
Times 21st May 2022 read more »