Installing a heat pump at Holy Trinity Church in Jersey 15 years ago helped dry it out and save money. Photo: Jeff Pugh.
Angela Le Sueur doesn't regret installing a heat pump in her church.
“It's great,” she says, speaking outside the parish hall of the ancient Holy Trinity Church in Jersey, where she is now. Non-professional.
“We made a warm floor with it, and now we don't have to worry about it. And the best thing is that the church dries up because it maintains a constant temperature. It just works and it saves us money.”
Holy Trinity made the decision to implement the device nearly 15 years ago, installing a ground source heat pump instead of oil-fired central heating when its system creaked. replacement required.
Angela Le Sueur, a laywoman at Holy Trinity Church, has no regrets about installing a heat pump in her building over a decade ago. Photo: Jeff Pugh. increasingly familiar issues: bills, carbon emissions and energy security.
Jersey is becoming an unlikely place for heat pumps: it is estimated that 2.5-5% of homes on the island already use these devices.
Up to 100 are set annually and this number is likely to increase significantly in the future. The Jersey government wants to ban new fossil fuel heating systems in new and old homes from 2026 and intends to pledge grants to help with cleaner replacements: £5,000 in subsidy or up to £10,000 for low income households, no need appropriate funds.
Channel Island offers a glimpse into a possible future for the rest of the United Kingdom as the governments of Westminster and Holyrood push heat pumps as a key part of their zero emission plans.
“You just feel like I'm going to have to do it at some point – that's the way the world works at the moment,” says Michael Cotillard, one of the Jersey residents who took the step.
Michael and Karen Cotillard installed two large heat pumps inside their garden fence. Photo: Jeff Pugh
Grandpa installed two large heat pumps on the inside of his garden wall to heat his house in the north of the island.
“The noise from the fans bothered me,” he says. “They say you shouldn't hear noise at 10m, so they're 12m away.”
Many residents are turning to appliances and other electric heating to manage their money.
About half of Jersey's 40,000 homes still have oil-fired central heating, but fluctuations in oil prices caused by Russia's war in Ukraine make these systems vulnerable to large price fluctuations.
p>
Jersey receives almost all of its electricity from France, where it is mainly generated by clean nuclear and hydropower. Jersey Electricity, a government monopoly, has maintained relatively low and stable rates despite prices skyrocketing in the UK and Europe last year.
“I haven’t installed an oil boiler in maybe 15 years,” says local plumber Sean Mitchell. “Electricity is cheaper here.”
The standard unit rate in Jersey is 17.5p/kWh, while off-peak the price is as low as 9.51/kWh. UK households currently pay 33.2p per kWh, although Jersey service fees are charged separately.
Sean Mitchell hasn't installed an oil boiler in Jersey in over a decade. Photo: Jeff Pugh.
However, many still complain about high bills on an expensive island. Interest in heat pumps is growing in part because they help keep costs down compared to a standard electric boiler.
The units run on electricity to draw heat from the outdoor air, extracting more energy than they consume.
“The rule of thumb is that with an electric boiler or any of these technologies without a heat pump, you put a pound in – a pound out,” says Ian Wilson, energy solutions manager at Jersey Electricity.
“But a heat pump, if done right, can put in a pound and make a pound. 5 out. If you don't do it right, you can still put in a pound and get three pounds.”
However, with the initial cost of a standard family home estimated at £15,000, interest in heat pumps in Jersey is rising still driven by wealthier residents.
Matt Godel, founder of Jersey specializing in renewable energy. The Isle-Eco power plant says the island's wealthier residents are currently the ones driving the “significant” increase in demand.
“Definitely people who are a little more affluent, maybe second or third home owners” he says. “The younger generation, not so much […] The two main reasons are savings on energy bills, especially lately, and increasing carbon emissions.”
However, this may change with the imminent introduction of government subsidies .
In addition to financial reasons, many residents also turn to heat pumps for environmental reasons.
Would you install a heat pump in your home? Survey
With a population of less than 110,000 and no heavy industry, Jersey's CO2 emissions are comparatively low: 358,425 tonnes in 2021, less than the UK's 425 million tonnes. On a per capita basis, Jersey's emissions are about 50% lower. Driving and heating account for the bulk of emissions.
However, the company aims to keep up with efforts to fight global warming, keeping in mind the carbon footprint of imported goods and flights that bring tourists. , as well as the global impact of its financial industry.
“As a small island, we still have a big impact on other people’s carbon emissions,” says Hilary June, Jersey’s first minister of energy and climate change.
p>
Residents are also aware of the effects of climate change: Families were evacuated from their homes in the valley in January due to heavy rains, and Jersey Royal potato farmers have warned about the impact of climate change on their crops.
“In six months, we have moved from a ban on the use of hoses to the evacuation of people. canoeing,” adds Zhenya.
Patrick Ryan, a former Jersey MP, says he and his wife, Wendy, are considering installing the devices because “we want to be environmentally friendly.”
Ms Ryan says they would be willing to take on upfront funding. hit.
“We do not count on government assistance, but if they do, it would be nice. If heat pumps were more accessible and cheaper, we would have done it 10 years ago.”
However, not everyone is so fanatical.
“How long does it take for me to get my money back?” says Peter Statt, who built his home in Jersey decades ago.
Peter Statt thinks heat pumps are too expensive, even with bill savings. Photo: Jeff Pugh. years ago, but says he thinks the heat pump is too expensive, even with the savings on the bills.
“I'm about to turn 76 years old. It can take up to 10 years before you get your money back, which could benefit anyone who takes over heating after I'm gone.”
Andium Homes, the island's largest social housing owner, does not use fossil fuel heating in any of its 4,700 homes, but uses electric heating rather than heat pumps in part due to upfront housing costs.
However in general, demand is growing and efforts are being made to ensure that enough qualified engineers are available to meet the demand.
“Our biggest concern on the island is that we don't have environmental skills,” says June.
Jersey is funding the training of new heat pump engineers at Highlands Community College, to try and make sure the supply chain can hold up.
Mitchell, a plumber, says the island is already running out of plumbers.
“Money is better in Ireland and Europe,” he says. and it's getting more and more expensive to live here.”
Godel sees the 2026 goal as “ambitious” but says “everything is moving in the right direction.”< /p>
In Holy Trinity, enthusiasm has not faded . Mrs. Le Sueur, married to Trinity Ward leader Philippe Le Sueur, says: “It's never cold inside.”
Recent Comments