UK Government to streamline heat pump installations, benefiting millions of households
Planning a revolution in Heating
In the UK, if you want to build a new house or make a major renovation to your existing house, you need to request planning permission from the local council. This rule was bought in to stop people doing huge extensions or building massive out buildings. So it’s generally a good idea as people often have very peculiar ideas about what will look good.
But to oil the wheels and make the process a bit easier, you are allowed to do a small amount of work under a scheme called permitted development. The rules are easy to follow and can be found online. For example, you can put up a shed or a conservatory without needing to go for full planning permission, which can be costly and is very slow. But the planning rules and permitted development rules were written eons ago before renewables were a thing.
So, for the last 15 years if you want to install a heat pump strictly you needed to get planning permission, it was a ridiculous administrative hurdle which prevented many people considering what its without doubt the best modern heating solution for any UK house.
Graham Hendra, Heat Pump Development Officer at Haier and renowned industry expert, mentioned:
"10 years ago, the rules for planning were loosened a bit so that a heat pump could be installed using the permitted development rules if it was out of site, not too big and not near the boundary of the property. It was better but still many systems did not meet the requirement. "
Because of this, the Heat Pump industry had 2 options :
- Moan like mad on Linkedin
And/or just put the heat pump in without planning and hope no one noticed.
Literally hundreds of units went in with no planning and literally no one noticed making a slight mockery of the rules.
I’m a simple guy, so I like simple solutions that anyone can understand. The planning rules have always baffled me. Its ok to build a shed 20 times the size of a heat pump and do so without asking anyone’s permission, but you can’t install a heat pump without planning. You can store 20 heat pumps in the new shed and still you don’t need planning. But if you dare take a heat pump out the shed and put it in the garden, planning is required. And in a bizarre twist, no one ever applies for planning for air conditioning units which are identical in look and noise to a heat pump.
Well now great news, the planning regulations have been changed finally and now you don’t need planning for a heat pump any more. There are still a few restrictions but basically, you can fit a heat pump now, it turns out they are ok.
Heat pumps, boilers that live in the Garden. What’s stopping you now?
Discover our R290 A2W Heating Range
Written by Graham Hendra, Heat Pump Development Officer at Haier HVAC Solutions.
Other articles you might like
Haier HVAC Solutions goes on the road this month, with its fully kitted product trailer, bringing its latest heating and cooling solutions directly to installers across the UK.
The new product trailer has been designed as a practical demonstration and training space, giving installers the opportunity to explore Haier HVAC Solutions first-hand and gain a better understanding of their features, controls and applications.
As demand for efficient and future-ready heating solutions continues to grow in Denmark, Haier HVAC Solutions is partnering with Solar Denmark to bring its latest R290 Air-to-Water heat pump portfolio to professional installers. Through this partnership, Solar will commercialise Haier's solutions in Denmark, combining Haier's expertise in heating technology with Solar's strong market presence and experience in climate and energy solutions.
Haier HVAC Solutions Europe and Frigentis GmbH have established a strategic partnership, representing an important step in Haier’s ongoing growth in Austria. The agreement underlines the company’s commitment to bringing innovative, efficient, and sustainable HVAC technologies to the Austrian market.
