Henley and Thame MP Freddie van Mierlo has visited a constituent’s home in Tetsworth to see how a tepeo heat battery boiler is being used as an alternative to fossil-fuel heating.
The visit gave Mr van Mierlo an opportunity to see the technology operating in a real home and hear directly from the homeowner about their experience of installation and day-to-day use.
The homeowner had replaced their previous heating system with a tepeo ZEB heat battery boiler. The ZEB charges using electricity, stores energy as heat and releases it through a suitable wet central-heating system when the home needs warmth.
Smart Charging considers factors including the household’s electricity tariff, local weather forecast and expected heating demand. This can allow the system to make use of suitable off-peak electricity periods, although running costs will vary according to the property, tariff, weather and household energy use.
During the visit, Mr van Mierlo saw how the ZEB had been incorporated into the home and heard about the installation process, heating control and the homeowner’s experience of living with the system.
Johan du Plessis, Chief Executive Officer at tepeo, also attended and discussed the role heat batteries could play in giving households a wider choice of lower-carbon heating technologies.
Heat pumps will be an important solution for many properties. Heat battery boilers may provide another option for suitable homes where factors such as limited outdoor space, the existing heating system or the installation work required make a heat pump more difficult.
Mr van Mierlo has previously raised the potential role of heat batteries with government ministers and has called for them to be included more fully in the UK’s approach to decarbonising home heating. He said:
This technology is UK developed and manufactured, fits around how homes already work, can reduce energy costs and is greener than gas. I’ve been trying to find any downsides to this product but I genuinely can’t find any.
As we transition to low carbon technologies, the government should further support uptake of this technology with VAT relief in a similar way to heat pumps, as well as decouple electricity prices from gas so that those who are choosing to switch see the benefits in their bills
The Government has announced plans to extend Boiler Upgrade Scheme support to heat batteries, subject to the required standards, implementation process and final scheme arrangements.
The homeowners said they were pleased to demonstrate how the system had performed in their home and hoped the visit would help other households understand the range of lower-carbon heating options available.
The visit highlighted the importance of a technology-inclusive approach to heating policy. Britain’s housing stock is varied, and no single system will be suitable for every property.
Supporting a wider range of credible technologies, including heat batteries, could help more households find a lower-carbon heating solution that is appropriate for their home.
Read the BBC South Today coverage.
We were delighted to host BBC South Today on our visit with Freddie van Mierlo MP. Read the full article from the BBC.