The owners of Pedn Billy Boathouse, a converted boathouse with a traditional thatched roof overlooking Helford River in Helford Passage, have been named as one of three winners in a nationwide competition to showcase where heat pumps are possible. As a result, the boathouse and new heating system has featured in a short film fronted by TV Presenter and Architecture Pundit, Kevin McCloud.
The owners of Pedn Billy Boathouse, Tom and Nigel Bligh, and heating installers Ben and Jamie from Adobe Heat entered the Vaillant Heat Pump Possible competition earlier this year.
The filming saw Kevin interview Tom and Nigel, together with Ben and Jamie from Abode Heat, to learn more about the property – which had a Vaillant aroTHERM plus heat pump replace the property’s direct electric heating system in November 2021.
Abode Heat’s Ben Hodges, who designed the heat pump system, said: “The Boathouse is just metres away from the beach, and we needed a quality system that would reliably handle the coastal location and salt air. We really like the Vaillant aroTHERM plus system as it comes from the factory with superb corrosion protection as standard, which is really key when you’re doing projects in coastal areas.”
Abode Heat installed the air source heat pump in November 2021, to work alongside a new wet radiator system. The team installed the aroTHERM plus air source heat pump in just over a week.
Since its installation, owners Tom and Nigel Bligh have been impressed by how efficiently the property has been heated. Nigel said: “We are using 50% less electricity than before we had the heat pump installed, which is a significant saving. We have also been able to rent the property for a longer period of time. Our guests are really happy with the system and often comment on how quiet it is. Most importantly, we are playing our part in protecting the planet from global warming – and we hope others will follow in our footsteps.”
One of the judges who was involved in selecting Tom and Nigel’s property was Mark Wilkins, Technologies and Training Director at Vaillant. He said: “Pedn Billy Boathouse was selected as it’s a great example of a UK home that may be seen as impossible to heat with modern technology such as a heat pump. It’s an older building with a traditional thatched roof, on an estuary close to the sea with salt winds. Yet, Ben and Jamie at Abode Heat have demonstrated that with good design, a heat pump can work brilliantly.
“Tom and Nigel are not only happy with the comfortable temperature that the heat pump system maintains but also, it’s quiet running. They now have an entire estate that is entirely heated by a renewable system and I’m so pleased Vaillant has played a part in making this happen.
“Pedn Billy Boathouse is a shining example of the capabilities of heat pumps, and we’re confident that Vaillant’s Heat Pump Possible campaign will support even more homeowners to better understand how low carbon technologies, such as heat pumps, can work effectively in their homes.”
You can watch the full video here: www.vaillant.co.uk/heatpumppossible
