Heat Pumps Could Be the Answer to Norfolk Fuel Crisis
With crisis meetings taking place between the Prime Minister and the ‘big six' energy companies this week, the need for extreme changes in the way we heat the country is evident. Age UK has also recently warned Norfolk may be one of the worst hit counties in terms of fuel poverty, due to its above average elderly population. With Norfolk County Council working on a slashed budget due to drops of around 28% in government funding for local authorities, many are facing a difficult winter. Phil Wells, chief executive of Age UK Norwich recently stated: ‘We must now address that we've got big problems for people on low incomes keeping warm and we need completely different ways to resolve that.'
In answer to these fears, Norfolk County Council has recently rolled out an ambitious renewable energy scheme, prioritising on attractive government incentives such as the Clean Energy Cashback scheme; with proposals to create an independent, but council-owned, energy company. The proposed company will initially focus on installing solar cells and fitting biomass boilers, and will eventually also look to develop into other renewable resources such as heat pumps. Norfolk's devotion to green energy is admirable, and Phil Hardy, Leader of the Green Party group at Norfolk Council, has been quoted as saying: ‘By working together on this initiative, not only will we reduce the council's energy costs whilst creating an income stream, but we will leave a legacy for future generations.'
The council's devotion to securing a green Norfolk for future generations is very admirable, and they also stand to make a significant profit from the investment they plan to make into ventures such as solar panelling. Added to the clear benefits of producing free energy, the government is also offering a sizable feed-in tariff of 43p per kilowatt of renewable energy generated, equating to 4-5 times the usual rate for this energy. The council can hope to make around a 10% return on the initial investment, which is a sizable amount over the 25-year lifespan of the scheme.
Another government project Norfolk council could cash in on is the Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme, potentially through large-scale installation of heat pumps throughout the county. There are two main varieties of heat pump readily available, ground source and air source. Ground source are usually the most reliable, especially in the unpredictable UK climate, as ground temperatures tend to be more consistent than air temperatures. Ground source heat pumps provide a brilliant source of sustainable energy, and are the perfect investment for Norfolk's huge expanses of open land.
In answer to these fears, Norfolk County Council has recently rolled out an ambitious renewable energy scheme, prioritising on attractive government incentives such as the Clean Energy Cashback scheme; with proposals to create an independent, but council-owned, energy company. The proposed company will initially focus on installing solar cells and fitting biomass boilers, and will eventually also look to develop into other renewable resources such as heat pumps. Norfolk's devotion to green energy is admirable, and Phil Hardy, Leader of the Green Party group at Norfolk Council, has been quoted as saying: ‘By working together on this initiative, not only will we reduce the council's energy costs whilst creating an income stream, but we will leave a legacy for future generations.'
The council's devotion to securing a green Norfolk for future generations is very admirable, and they also stand to make a significant profit from the investment they plan to make into ventures such as solar panelling. Added to the clear benefits of producing free energy, the government is also offering a sizable feed-in tariff of 43p per kilowatt of renewable energy generated, equating to 4-5 times the usual rate for this energy. The council can hope to make around a 10% return on the initial investment, which is a sizable amount over the 25-year lifespan of the scheme.
Another government project Norfolk council could cash in on is the Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme, potentially through large-scale installation of heat pumps throughout the county. There are two main varieties of heat pump readily available, ground source and air source. Ground source are usually the most reliable, especially in the unpredictable UK climate, as ground temperatures tend to be more consistent than air temperatures. Ground source heat pumps provide a brilliant source of sustainable energy, and are the perfect investment for Norfolk's huge expanses of open land.
