The Government has recently published a consultation into proposals to improve the efficiency of central heating systems in England.
Announced by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the proposals also include a call for evidence on return water temperatures and the sizing of radiators to improve heating performance in domestic properties. David Kerr, CEO at QRL Radiator Group, has welcomed the inclusion of heat emitters in the proposals – hailing it as a “wake-up call” for the industry.
He says: “The publication of the Heat in Buildings consultation marks an important shift in consciousness that we hope to see spread across the heating industry in the coming months and years. It makes no sense at all to invest in fitting high-end condensing boilers, renewable heating technologies or advanced controls, only to pair them with inefficient and outdated radiators. For too long, heat emitters have been left out of the efficiency equation – so to see them included in this consultation is a wake-up call for the industry.
“Now that the issue is firmly on the Government’s agenda, we at QRL would like to see even more progress. An efficient radiator will respond faster to a property’s heat demand, using less energy to provide the same heat output (or better) than inefficient models. It will also work more effectively at lower flow and return temperatures. This not only means a smaller carbon footprint, but makes for lower bills. Scaling up these individual household savings to a mass market level is proven to deliver results – and with tens of millions of outdated and inefficient radiators installed in existing housing stock, it’s easy to see the impact a widespread rollout of more efficient models could have.
“Given that most high-efficiency radiators are manufactured here in the UK, this is also a market that could be stimulated as part of the Government’s broader efforts to combine action on reducing emissions with industrial strategy. At QRL, we are already campaigning for further research on the benefits of replacing old radiators, and for action on energy labelling to help consumers make an informed decision. We look forward to working closely with BEIS as part of its call for evidence under the Heat in Buildings consultation, and to seeing radiators fulfil their true potential in boosting the efficiency and performance of UK heating systems as a whole.”
