On Thursday, I visited a business in my constituency. Tepeo is a Winnersh based company that produces zero emission boilers and I was kindly show around their facilities by the CEO.
I have long campaigned for green products to be VAT free and will make the case for zero emission heaters to be included. Heat pumps are not practical or affordable for many homes so I welcome ideas to offer other heating solutions. The government should not use expensive subsidies to favour one heating solution over others when the market needs to develop new choices for consumers. I do hope new heaters can be made in the UK to ensure more people benefit from this technology here at home.
February 16, 2024
Spot on SJR. This is, as described, the sort of contribution to Nett Zero, via science and engineering, that I have long advocated, rather than law and dictat from the ill informed. Suggestion, book a ticket to Japan and Toyota HQ, to see what they are developing for the IC engine. Its a nice place in the spring.
February 16, 2024
They’re not really emissions free because the electricity to power them comes from a court 40% fossil fuel.
You’re just transferring the emissions to the power stations
February 16, 2024
Inventive, efficient quality products attract consumer demand and succeed on merit. Ineffective alternatives with government subsidies stifle healthy competition and lure customers into wasteful traps.
February 17, 2024
Excellent vidoe on Tepeo’s website for those who want to know more..
Sir John is right that the Government should not pick winners. Incentives need to be broadly based so as to encourage widespread innovation and to stimulate the market. The ZEB is a niche product and the aim of decarbonising energy use demands a wide range of solutions of which ZEB can certainly be a part.
Contrary to the scaremongering there is no climate emergency. thee is time to make the transition to the extent it turns out to be required in slower time so as to avoid unnecessary recession and unnecessary investment in mistakes.
You never know a longer transition period migh bring us to the dawn of the next interglacial coolong period, at which point we can revert to burning gas to keep warm. The inter-glacial cycle is around 100,000 years so don’t hold your breath – we are still in the warming period folllwing the last ice age.
February 17, 2024
Re home heating: the Army is reported to be trialling a new, compact all electric heater for Army barracks. The running cost may be more than heat exchange systems but capital and maintenance costs should be far less.
Worth examining ?
February 18, 2024
Sounds an interesting visit Sir John.
I have recently had a new gas boiler installed. It has an eight year warranty and to replace my old boiler which was twenty years old, it was seventeen hundred pounds.
I see that the Tepeo boiler is six thousand pounds to buy and a couple of grand to fit. Of the six thousand pounds, one thousand is Vat.
The concept of the Tepoe is interesting but, I notice it runs best with a smart meter, something I neither have nor want.
The system reminds me of the warm air electric heating I had in my old flat back in the 1980s. It ran on Economy 7 electricity and stored the heat in bricks within the heater. It was the size of an American fridge. I took it out because, to be honest, at that time it was very inefficient and expensive to run. It cost a lot to remove it because of asbestos contained within its cupboard and within the unit.
I do like the sound of the Tepoe system but, it is expensive,compared to the tried and tested gas boilers.
It does make sense for you to push the government to make such items Vat free if they are serious about us all going green along the net zero lines.