A key planning restriction that heat pumps need to be one metre from a neighbour’s property has been lifted as the government seeks to accelerate the take up of the low-carbon technology. The change, which is part of the government’s Warm Homes Plan to lower household bills and cut planet warming emissions, means it could be easier for millions of homes in England to have a heat pump installed.

Up until the end of last month homeowners needed planning permission if they wanted to put a heat pump within one metre of their neighbour’s property (due to concerns over noise) and this acted as a barrier, particularly so for people replacing a broken gas boiler, unable to endure a lengthy wait for council approval. Previous concerns over noise are less of an issue with newer devices, though units will still be required to be below a certain volume level. The planning changes also include a relaxation of the rules for the size and number of heat pumps households can install.

Most UK homes use gas boilers for their hot water and heating, with estimates they produce up to 14% of the country’s greenhouse gases. It is hoped that as heat pumps use electricity, and the country moves to generating more electricity from renewable energy sources like solar and wind, heat pumps could produce far fewer emissions than boilers. However, the way that Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are currently calculated means a gas boiler can sometimes have a better rating than a heat pump, because it looks at energy costs and assumes gas is cheaper.