I don't think the voters with gas central heating would agree.

@derek-m that depends. You could move it onto electricity at roughly equal rating. I believe most people's bills are roughly 50/50. So you could make the electricity bill £200 less and the gas bill £200 more - as an example. This would be cost neutral for a normal person. However if you want to incentivise people to switch the main driver will have to be in their pocket. An ASHP makes sense for me as I have batteries and solar. Without them it wouldn't. What you need is that ASHP heating is 2/3 the price of gas per year. A material difference you can easily work out would increase uptake. Everyone cares about the environment, few are prepared to pay more about it in real life

Posted by: @derek-m

Hi Jeff,

Is that not a contradiction in terms, having government and strategy in the same sentence?

Let me know when you see the report, I would be interested in reading it.

Some initiatives were included in a press release yesterday. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/44-million-cash-boost-to-cut-emissions-from-buildings-and-help-households-save-on-energy-bills

Posted by: @batalto

@derek-m that depends. You could move it onto electricity at roughly equal rating. I believe most people's bills are roughly 50/50. So you could make the electricity bill £200 less and the gas bill £200 more - as an example. This would be cost neutral for a normal person. However if you want to incentivise people to switch the main driver will have to be in their pocket. An ASHP makes sense for me as I have batteries and solar. Without them it wouldn't. What you need is that ASHP heating is 2/3 the price of gas per year. A material difference you can easily work out would increase uptake. Everyone cares about the environment, few are prepared to pay more about it in real life

Gas heating is about half the price of ASHP at the moment, give or take. If ASHP were to be 2/3 the price of ASHP, gas would have to treble if ASHP stayed the same.  Or double if ASHP reduced by 1/3 (please check my arithmetic!).  The other problem is, apart from CO2 emissions, gas is better at heating homes - it's cheaper, simpler, more flexible and a lot more forgiving of older properties and profligate use.   I agree incentives are important but I don't think the move away from gas can be cost-neutral for consumers.  It's going to need some careful balancing of carrots and sticks by those in power.  I think the days of cheap home heating are numbered.  

Thanks Jeff,

It makes interesting reading.

Have you read the energy white paper? There is a link contained within the above document.

Countdown timer added to boiler page.

https://octopus.energy/l/heat/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh8Sp58KV8QIVJeLmCh2L2wdlEAAYASAAEgJAwfD_BwE

@jeff Only 480 days to go...

I assume the long lead time is linked to this announcement

"Octopus Energy is investing £10m to build the UK’s first major training centre for heat pump engineers, which they say will create a huge jobs bonanza." 

That explains why they are offering reduced price shares to their current shareholders! 

A hint on the price point of the Octopus offer when it is launched but maybe they are just playing?