Majority of homes are suitable for ASHPs

Nesta  is a British foundation, registered as a charity, which supports innovation.

Their initial research into the kinds of heating technologies that are suitable for neighbourhoods across England and Wales  shows that ‘… most of the country is highly suitable for ASHPs, apart from major cities where suitability is lower.’ It notes that in major cities with tightly packed housing, heat networks (district heating systems) or shared ground source heating may be more suitable.

Nesta also believe that ‘… heat pumps can run efficiently in less well insulated homes and that noise concerns can be managed effectively without the overly restrictive one metre rule.’

The report  also links to an interactive map  of heat pump suitability. This data covers England and Wales. Scotland is to be included in the second phase of the project.

Checkmark DIY Support
Most mini-split air conditioning units can also operate as highly efficient Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs). They can be easily installed by someone with good DIY skills, as long as they use a fully qualified F-gas connection and test support service - as provided by Checkmark . This approach can save a great deal of money compared to a complete installation by an air conditioning company, and allows the owner to achieve the quality of work they demand.