NEW homes must have heat pumps and solar panels instead of gas boilers, but Green Party councillors say more must be done to protect city manufacturing jobs.
Green councillors in Worcester have welcomed the announcement that developers will be required to install heat pumps and solar panels in all new homes in England by 2028.
However, the city’s Green councillors say Government support is needed to protect vital manufacturing jobs in Worcester.
Worcester Bosch currently produces 400,000 boilers a year in the city and invested millions in building heat pumps in Portugal and Sweden.
SUPPORT: The Green Party’s Alex Mace supports heat pumps and solar panels in new homes (Image: Apple Photos Clean Up)
Alex Mace, co-leader of the Green Group on Worcester City Council, said “A move away from burning fossil fuels to heat our homes is vital to protect against both climate change and volatile fuel prices.
“Worcester Bosch is a leader in heating technology, but with new homes from 2028 no longer having gas boilers, we need to see investment in Worcester to produce heat pumps and preserve jobs. I have raised this with Tom Collins MP before and will continue to do so.”
He argued the Future Homes Standard has been in the pipeline for several years already; the Government needs to provide suitable incentives to create and protect jobs at Worcester Bosch, including transition to heat pump manufacturing.
From 2028, new homes will not be connected to the gas network and will instead be on a thermal heat network or have a heat pump, and solar panels will be installed on roofs, covering the equivalent of 40 per cent of the ground floor area.
However, as the Green councillors point out, the inclusion of batteries has not been made mandatory. Without them, Greens say they will not be able to store electricity, so that the full potential for lowering bills and reducing carbon emissions won’t be realised.
RESPONSE: Worcester’s MP Tom Collins (Image: Supplied)
Matt Jenkins, Leader of the Green and Independent Alliance at Worcestershire County Council said: “I know from my own heat pump that they are between 3-5x more efficient than gas boilers, and when paired with solar panels cost nothing to run for much of the year.
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“Home batteries take these savings even further, and the cheapest time to install them is during construction. They also help manage peaks and troughs in renewable power generation, so it is very disappointing that the Government is not mandating their installation.”
Worcester’s MP Tom Collins, who spent 19 years working as an engineer in Worcester, said: “Far too many people in Worcester are struggling with bills, living in cold and sometimes mouldy properties. People don’t feel well supported to understand what’s best to do.
“I’m looking to see if we can work together to set up a community owned energy company here in Worcester. This would mean more of us can benefit from technologies like solar, can access trustworthy advice on heating and making our homes more efficient, and can feel the benefits of sustainable energy.”
A spokesperson for Worcester Bosch said they were unable to comment.