Ed Miliband: Networked heat pumps are a 'crucial' technology

Networked Heat Pumps can provide heating and cooling for multiple properties
In-street pipework can benefit entire communities
Miliband was visiting British heat pump manufacturer Kensa, in Cornwall

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband visits Kensa Heap Pumps in Cornwall

Shadow secretary for Energy and Net Zero, Ed Miliband MP, has hailed the importance of heat pumps in the UK’s bid to hit net zero carbon emissions on a visit to a factory in Cornwall.

The former Labour leader made the comments while visiting Kensa, a British heat pump manufacturer, where he discussed the company’s vision to deliver affordable, renewable heating and cooling for UK households.

He said a Labour government would work with the company to make heat pumps part of the UK’s energy transition.

Following a £70m investment from Legal & General and Octopus Energy, Kensa is working with communities and businesses across the UK to deliver its heat decarbonisation solution – Networked Heat Pumps.

Networked heat pumps consist of ground source heat pumps installed in individual properties, e.g. flats, terraced streets or new-build homes, that are all connected to a shared network of underground pipework, providing each property with low-cost, renewable heating, hot water and cooling.

“It (networked ground source heat pumps) is an innovative technology, it’s a crucial technology, it’s absolutely part of the mix if I’m concerned,” Milliband said.

“And if Labour’s in Government and I’m the secretary of state after 4 July, I look forward to working with Kensa to tackle the shared goals we have, to tackle fuel poverty and decarbonise our country.

“It’s not just about decarbonisation, and clean energy and tackling fuel poverty, it’s about good jobs for people, it’s about good wages which is really important to Cornwall and really important across the country.”

Tamsin Lishman, CEO of Kensa, said: “Networked Heat Pumps are already servicing thousands of properties across the UK, lowering energy bills, tackling fuel poverty and keeping people warm in all types of properties, whether that’s social housing flats, terraced homes or new builds”.

Thousands of properties have already received the Networked Heat Pumps solution, including 273 high-rise social housing flats in Thurrock, lowering their bills by up to 66%.

The company has also heated new-build properties in Bristol and has been rolled out under the streets for medium-density housings in Stithians, Cornwall.

Kensa’s goal is to help contribute to the government’s ambition to install 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028 by installing 70,000 heat pumps a year by 2030, creating over 7,000 green UK manufacturing jobs in the process.

Miliband told Kena’s CEO, Tamsin Lishman: “I’m incredibly impressed by everything I’ve seen here. The workforce, the vision, the commitment to tackling fuel poverty, I think Kensa’s got a really important role to play.”

Earlier this year, the heat pump supplier launched its latest ground-source heat pump, the Shoebox NX, which is a compact heat pump designed for networked heat pumps.

According to the supplier, the new heat pump is “five times more efficient than a gas boiler and will deliver heating and cooling almost any home and is small enough to fit inside a cupboard”.

The visit follows the publication of Labour’s pledges for the upcoming 4 July general election that included the creation of a publicly-owned company, Great British Energy.

The new company – should Labour form the next government – will be paid for by a windfall tax on oil and gas companies and will help the UK meet its net zero carbon emissions targets by 2030.

The party’s full election manifesto will be published soon.