One-metre rule for heat pumps to be scrapped
By Paul Homewood
h/t Ian Magness
Last week I forecast this u-turn:
An “arbitrary” rule with the potential to force households to install heat pumps in the middle of their gardens is set to be scrapped by the Government.
Under the plans, buried in the detail of the Autumn Statement, people would no longer have to fit the devices at least one metre from neighbouring properties.
Ministers say ditching the rule would help to “capitalise on the UK’s world-leading approach to decarbonising the economy”.
Currently, planning regulations mean that to qualify for the Government’s £5,000 heat pump grant devices should be installed at least one metre (3.28ft) from any boundary wall.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/11/23/one-metre-rule-for-heat-pumps-to-be-scrapped/
So tough luck if your neighbour decides to instal one of these noisy things right next to your home.
But if the government really thinks that people will start taking up their heat pump grants, it just shows that they are living in cloud cuckoo land. They still obviously have not realised that nobody wants these massively expensive devices, that don’t even heat your home properly.
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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
They’re still a big element of the local authorities’ rush to save the planet, along with purchase of EVs. Although not every authority causes the chaos that London has, with the large bill for ULEZ-complaint ambulances, it’s still a cost to local taxpayers when those same authorities are pleading poverty.
So what’ll I do with my yard?
We’d had 2 consecutive power cuts last week “out of the black” at teatime. Good job we’re not on VOIP and without regular quality Mobile Phone reception to call ‘The Board’ to advise of the problem. – they hadn’t ( and not for the first time) been aware of a problem…. 173 customers affected So I will NOT be fitting any heatpumps. I think my Yard is better filled with generators and storage tank + Stockpile of wood when I can get around to setting up a simple wood processing arrangement for our locality.
Quite honestly, If only I could get a simple Plug-in and run Heat transfer setup for our generators and any other engines working static devices for any length of time close by, that would be the best way to go. As in the Alps, etc those large Farm houses with a Cellar or 2 and the livestock down below could be used to provide sufficient background /low grade heat for us. Planning Permission, eh? Those F””””””rs in the Coonsil …. have no idea about real-life situations. If only I could build as easily and readily as I can purchase a Machine (Spur of the moment even) . so don’t get me going on that!
‘devices should be installed at least one metre (3.28ft) from any boundary wall.’ Aye! POINT TWO EIGHT – is that the same as POINT TWENTY EIGHT? – it’s a generational thingy. Depends on temperature of the measuring stick according to DIN Standards, eh? and tilt of the Lune whilst measuring!
“Point two eight” is how you’re supposed to spell out (and say) the numbers after the decimal point. Thinks about the confusion; is “point two hundred and seventy five” bigger or smaller than “point twenty eight”?
Indeed, but I was pushing the point of the Generational nonsense ( woke-ness , if you like) about Climate change and the etymology of our English language: If you view the Eurolanders ( german in my case ) THEIR “DEnglish” goes down this (american?) way of speaking etc, and NOT as you and I ( or Me n you ) ( Me me me myself again, eh?) were taught to speak and count.
ANd thinking of your example, aye: If I asked you to supply me with 4 & 20 tons of fertiliser, How kwikly does that register ( ie 1 lorry load !! ) and how many eggs in the bag if I ask for ONE & a HALF Dozen ? ( answer’s in the omelette)
Surely installing the heat pump motor closer to a building will make them more noisy due to noise bounce back?
My comment and this mini-thread, relate purely to how decimals are spoke. I was unaware that Americans and the woke had a different usage.
Back in 2011 boiler manufacturer Baxi made the “Ecogen” micro CHP unit -combined heat and power. It housed a “Stirling Engine” (named after the great Scottish engineer Robert Stirling from Perthshire) that could simultaneously generate 1kW of electricity whilst heating your home.
https://www.renewableenergyhub.co.uk/main/micro-combined-heat-and-power-micro-chp-information/baxi-ecogen-micro-chp-boiler
It clearly was an exceptionally well engineered bit of kit but despite winning awards was ditched only a few years after launch. The official excuse was a lack of engineers willing to undergo the extra training to install and service them. Personally , I feel it was killed off by those in authority who did not like the idea of continuing gas (and oil fired) boilers being so useful.
A little known/publicised fact is that heat pumps do NOT have to be primarily electrically driven. There are Absorption Heat Pumps which can run off waste heat or more usually gas/oil. They operate similarly to the old style “Gas” refrigerators that are still popular in motorhomes and caravans known as “3 ways” This Australian government website explains.
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/absorption-heat-pumps
If you fancied giving up on the mains electricity grid, you could get an Absorption heat pump connected to deep ground boreholes and “powered” by the waste exhaust heat from your generators. Although an expensive initial installation, the ongoing operating costs should be remarkably low.
Surely there must be an “agricultural grant ” or two kicking around to subsidise it?
er emm, no? I’ve jut looked at the 2nd Link … Heat source: the exhaust + Electricpower to drive it, …. naww Jist Blaw the exhaust through an intercooler ( in reverse) HEAT EXCHANGER ! and then blow that heated air or water into house, drying room , conservatory, etc, ( Many years ago RA Lister made Crop driers using Air cooled Diesel engines, drawing the air past the engine into the crop.) Dry dry! ( Win win is modern phrase) Agric Grants ? Och since the early 80’s we’d given up on them – Scope of them changed & not in our philosophy!
Yes that Micro CHP if we’d a wee Hoosie and a Mains gas ( Futs at? ) supply, that would have been an excellent idea. Quieter than a wee Yanmar.
A quote from a friend about this article:
“Friends are demolishing an old shippon on their farm and are building a new house for an elderly friend to live in. They have got to install a heat pump or else pay a £40,000 forfeit!
40 grand! That’s blackmail, plain and simple. They are determined to force us all to go down this road, and if it’s all stick and no carrot, so be it, although it’s funny how Persimmon et al are able to just say no.”
Exactly. Despite all the hand-wringing about the climate emergency, the only “eco homes” being built locally are social housing financed by the council tax payer.
No one has mentioned that when these air pumps are working hard there is a powerful draft of freezing air on the downwind side making that another factor to be considered when siting it in a social area.
We will see the rise of “heat pump rage,” where neighbours fed up of the 24 hour noise will creep out in the dead of night and irretrievably damage the offending item.
‘Ministers say ditching the rule would help to “capitalise on the UK’s world-leading approach to decarbonising the economy”.’
Anonymous ministers. Getting advice from anonymous scientists. You get screwed for real.
I think it unethical to use quote marks for:
1. Unnamed speaker (SOMEBODY said),
2. Plural speakers (ministers ALL said exactly that?).
In this case, the people need to know which alleged ministers said such a stupid thing.
Esther McVey is now minister for commonsense. She might be able to get answers for you.
What is so great about leading the race to destroy your economy and standard of living? I think we are behind the frontrunners of California, New York, Germany and Australia. I see Sushi and kHunt were at the Nissan car factory that makes cars nobody in their right mind – or getting a subsidised company car – will actually buy.
Now that they have scrapped the 1 metre rule the next best step is to scrap the heatpump rule.
Doesn’t affect me, I shall not be swapping my superb gas boiler for something technically and economically less competent
You’d better all look out – it’s coming to get you: a report that ” EH TWO THREE EH ” has finally let go from the ocean floor. eh? Aye munn, the Sea has got so hot in Antarctica that a large block of ice has melted from it’s attachment to the sea bed ( they said) after sitting there for over 30 YEARS …. Hmmm Isn’t it the beginning of Summer down there?
Decarbonising the economy ? I hope or we and every living creature on the planet will be dead long before.
That may be what they mean.
I predict the heat pump installers getting plenty of work repairing mystery breakdowns when a branch gets jammed in the works.