So your family has a large carbon footprint?

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Our carbon footprint measures our impact on the environment and the amount of carbon dioxide (AKA a greenhouse gas) we release into the atmosphere because of our activities.

We know we should be reducing it and there are many ways to do so:

  • From reducing our reliance on cars - by walking short journeys, taking public transport, using a skateboard or even a hoverboard (OK, OK, that’s our inner Marty McFly revealing itself)
  • Reducing and reusing things we already own (very satisfying)
  • Buying local and seasonal food (though, let’s face it, this isn’t always that easy)
  • And in general, being mindful about what we buy (and asking ourselves “do we want it, or actually need it?”)

We all know we must make more switches - but sometimes reducing our carbon footprint in the ways suggested is just not that feasible; we might live just a bit too far from where we need to go or we just can’t repair something that’s broken.

What if there was another way to reduce your family’s carbon footprint?

Well, say hello to the heat pump!

This clever technology can reduce your family’s carbon footprint by using less energy than other methods, like gas boilers, to heat your home.

“How?”, we hear you cry.

Heat pumps work by transferring heat from the outside air or ground into your home. In the warm weather, they can also keep you cool by moving heat from your home to outside.

So what are the main ways a heat pump can reduce your family's carbon emissions? Let’s take a look:

  • They’re more efficient than gas boilers: using less much energy than a gas boiler to provide the same amount of heat
  • They transfer heat instead of generating it: transferring, rather than generating, heat from a cold space to a warm space
  • They run on electricity: this means a heat pump is less carbon intensive because Grid electricity is cleaner than gas due to the increasing quantity of renewables in our energy mix
  • They can be powered by renewable energy: If your home is powered by a renewable energy supplier, or your own renewable energy source such as solar, heating your home with a heat pump can have zero carbon emissions
  • They can improve air quality: Heat pumps can help improve air quality by reducing nasty gases like Nitrous Oxide and Sulphur Dioxide that are typically released from traditional boilers

Now, let’s talk stats. Compared to your gas boiler, a heat pump can potentially cut emissions by up to 80%:

  • This would save an average UK household 1,798kg of CO2 per year, which is the same as the amount of CO2 emitted by driving 8,521 miles in a petrol car (about the same distance from London to Perth, Australia, a challenging drive that we only recommend if you can take a lot of time out)
  • Over 10 years (the average lifespan of a traditional boiler), this is the same as 40 return flights between Heathrow and Madrid
  • And over 20 years, your family would be saving the same amount of carbon as 3,596 trees

Basically, by choosing a heat pump your family can make a substantial contribution to reducing carbon emissions and creating a more sustainable future. Like we said, pretty nifty tech.

If you’re now thinking a heat pump could be something for your family home, why not speak to us to find out more? You can head to https://www.thermly.co.uk/contact or request a call back, our team is ready to help.

Find out if your home is Heat Pump Ready

Our short Heat Pump Readiness Assessment is free, and only takes a few minutes. Sometime a bit longer with a cup of tea.

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