The cost of living... what can we do?

I didn't know Luncheon Vouchers could provide car insurance.

 

Businesses are investigated and prosecuted if they make claims the products or services they are providing are "Green", and rightly so.

Green claims on household basics investigated

Yet, on the flip side of the coin, do they get investigated, by saying you will be financially better off when purchasing a "Green" product or services.

The link below does prove heat pumps does cut down carbon emissions, but where is the the financial saving.

https://www.installeronline.co.uk/w...ppliances-A-critical-investment-appraisal.pdf

The government said they had no plans to mandate solar panels on new builds, I wonder why. Just like heat pumps, your savings are going to be minimal if any at all, unless gas and electric goes up even more, maybe that's the plan.

 

Going through my tiny mind.
Plenty of places colder than here, do they use heat pumps?
What about all the very green Scandinavian countries.

 

All new builds only passed if the include Solar Panels.

 

I believe Norway has the most air sourced heat pumps per capita, just like they have the most EV's per capita. When you take into account the mandates, it's not a surprise. All forms of heating from fossil fuels in buildings was banned from 2020 and all new ICE cars will be from 2025. The government must of been offering very keen subsidies and with expensive fossil fuels over the years, explains the take up. I would of thought heat pumps will not be as efficient in colder climates though, surely they will need a back up source for heat, electric.

In Feb 2021 the average cost per kWh in Norway was 0.61 NOK kr, about 5p, in August 2022 it had increased to 5.43 NOK kr, about 45p. The government announced a subsidy package of which they would pick up 55% of the bill over 0.70 NOK per kWh, they have since increased that subsidy to 80% but I think its capped on the consumption used. Seems a good subsidy but when you take into account Norway is ranked in the top 3 for most kWh consumption per capita, its maybe not that good after all.

 

There is more than one kind of heat pump. The easiest to install and the ones the Brit and French Govs are pushing are air/air. I'd imagine in Scandinavia, true geothermal systems...water/water or refrigerant gas/water are much more popular. The air/air systems aren't the most efficient when the outside temps plummet, which is exactly when you need the heat. They become glorified electric heaters. Even our gas/water heat pump struggles after a week of negative temperatures. What the sales people (and Govs) don't mention is that heat pumps are powered by electricity, so ultimately, it is electric heating.

 

Yeah the electric consumption is something that hardly ever gets mentioned, especially at a time when we obviously don't have enough.

 

That's what I thought, but apparently it is the the air/air source that is most popular in Norway. I know houses in Norway are regarding as the best for insulation but I still can't get my head round the fact air/air is the most common source for heat.

How Norway Popularized an Ultra-Sustainable Heating Method (reasonstobecheerful.world)

The Heat Pump Market, Research and Policy in Norway (heatpumpingtechnologies.org)

I find the figures in this article very hard to believe. This owner must of had the worst insulated house in Norway if they were using 35,000 kWh per year to 8,500 kWh after fitting insulation and heat pumps. Does not say anything about solar, even though there is one clearly on the roof in the image. I just can't get my head round these figures and why air/air is so popular, especially now with high electric costs.

 

I'm seeing heat pumps to be the equivalent of those stupid light bulbs we were all forced to buy before LED ones became popular.