I’m not surprised that there were 15 times as many gas boiler installations as heat pumps last year (Report, 10 April). I’ve just had a heat pump installed at great expense, even after the government grant. What irked me about the whole process was the sheer amount of bureaucracy I had to go through and pay for.
It took nearly three months to get planning permission, costing about £400, then get permission from the grid for a fee, and after that fill in online forms and prove my identity to get the grant. It took months to finally be able to go ahead with the installation.
Most of the process is online, requiring the uploading of photographs and scanned documents. I am reasonably computer savvy, but many people are not and would probably find all this a daunting prospect.
As a final disincentive, as long as electricity is about four times the price of gas per kWh, for many it won’t even save money.
I have invested in solar panels, home batteries and improved insulation, all at great cost, so I might just save a bit on heating – but I’m not holding my breath.
I did it for future generations, but the anti-climate-change policies of the man who is in charge in the US does not auger well for the future of the planet.
Dr Kirstine Oswald
Bonnyrigg, Midlothian
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