Some of the UK’s first homes to meet new energy efficiency standards are proving kinder to the electricity grid than expected. A real-world study of social housing in Birmingham, UK found that peak electricity demand from heat-pump-equipped homes was: “lower than we would expect,” said Dr Monica Mateo-Garcia, academic lead at Birmingham City University’s Centre for Future Homes. The analysis of carbon savings is still being finalised.
Researchers at Birmingham City University tracked seven all-electric homes over the course of a year. The results show that efficient design and smart energy use can avoid spikes in demand that strain infrastructure, easing concerns that widespread electric heating could overwhelm the network. The research compared electricity use across a year and found overall consumption far below typical UK homes.
“We currently seem to be overpredicting how much power we need in new-build housing,” said Professor Richard Fitton of the University of Salford, who was not involved in the study.
Each property was equipped with an air-source heat pump for heating and hot water, as well as high levels of insulation and solar panels. Critics of heat pumps have expressed concern that the extra load would burden the grid, but findings show that electrified homes used less energy at peak times, because peak usage timings varied between properties, and were spread across the homes, helping to reduce pressure on the grid.
In several cases, electricity used for heating and hot water was also lower than Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) estimates, reflecting well-documented concerns about the accuracy of EPC ratings. Total energy consumption over the year was between 40% and 67% lower than the UK average for each property creating “a huge saving over the typical household”.
“We’re finding that all those reasons not to go ahead with a heat pump are slowly but surely falling away,” said Professor Aaron Gillich of London South Bank University.
The results add weight to the upcoming Future Homes Standard, expected in 2027, which will require new properties to be built with heat pumps and solar panels.
Main image: Nancy Pauwels
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