04/03/2026
It was a pleasure to meet everyone and have the opportunity to show how Air Source Heat Pumps can work efficiently in different homes 🏠
The government is offering a £7500 grant to help people replace gas boilers with heat pumps. But do they work? Is it a good idea?
We haven’t been sure as a team, having heard mixed feedback. Last week we were invited by a local company Total Engineering who install air source heat pumps, to visit their home in Blackhall and learn more about how and when they work well. We were curious and so were community centre staff from our Energising Hubs in Blackhall, Shotton and Wheatley Hill who decided to join us.
‘Well I couldn’t recommend it yet, but I am going to get them over to see if they can install one in my house and then take it from there” Alison, Blackhall Community Centre Manager
It was bitter cold last Friday. Dave and Louise took us on a tour of different style homes - an old stone farmhouse where Dave lives in Blackhall , a small bungalow down the road where Louise’s mum lives, and a 1970s house being renovated in Wheatley Hill.
“One thing that surprised me was that the old farmhouse had its doors open the whole time we were there and the house stayed warm. We learnt that this is because air source heat pumps heat the walls of the building, so it holds the heat for much longer. “ Scarlet Hall, Programme Manager for Energising East Durham
Dave from Total Engineering told us that the reason they have had some bad press is because people try to use them like gas boilers, turning them on and off. Instead, he said they only work efficiently and cheaply when you leave them on at a steady temperature all the time.
“it was very useful as I knew nothing of that type of system prior to going.” Dave Hunter, Assistant Centre Manager, Greenhills Community Centre
This does mean that if you want to try to save money by turning your heating up and down its not the right option for you. But if you want to live in a home at a constant temperature for less money than what that would cost you on gas it could work.
We also learnt that a home heated by an air source heat pump reduces damp issues and reduces carbon. Dave told us a client told him that she has stopped using her dehumidifiers as they were no longer collecting any water.
Total Engineering are offering to install an air source heat pumps for £300 in homes where the job is not too complicated (eg boiler is close enough to fuse board and where a water tank could go). They would be paid by the Government Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant of £7,500, which is not means tested.
We all came away with more knowledge to help people think about whether an air source heat pump might be right for them. And many of us came away thinking we want to get one installed.
If you would like to know if it might be a good idea for your home, Helen and Anne Marie, our energy advisors, are available to help you think it through. Message the page, phone 0191 569 3511, or email [email protected]
