A Commons committee has recommended moving remaining energy transition policy costs off electricity bills and onto gas, which would make heat pumps and air conditioning cheaper to run compared with gas heating. It is only a recommendation for now, so installers can cut customers' running costs today with clean coils, a correct refrigerant charge, early leak detection and working condensate drainage.
Running costs are one of the first questions customers ask about a heat pump or air conditioning system, and electricity prices sit right at the centre of that answer. A Commons committee has now added its voice to calls to change how energy bills are built. Cooling Post reported on 25 October that the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee wants the remaining energy transition policy costs moved off electricity and onto gas.
What the committee said
The committee's main points were:
- Government should move all remaining energy transition policy costs from electricity bills onto gas bills, which it calls a key step in making the move away from fossil fuels affordable for households.
- Work to break the link between the price of gas and the price of electricity should speed up.
- Future policy costs should not be loaded onto bill payers. The committee described relying on consumers to fund the transition as potentially the biggest barrier to the Clean Power 2030 target.
This is a recommendation, not a decision. The government still has to respond, and any change to how bills are made up would take time.
Why it matters to installers
Heat pumps and air conditioning run on electricity. When electricity carries a larger share of levies than gas, the running cost comparison with a gas boiler looks worse than the efficiency figures alone suggest. If policy costs shift towards gas, the gap narrows and the case for electric heating and cooling gets easier to make on the doorstep.
The flip side is that, until anything changes, customers are paying today's electricity prices. That puts the spotlight on something installers do control: how efficiently the system actually runs once it is in.
Efficiency you can control today
A well-designed system can still waste energy if it is poorly commissioned or neglected. Simple checks make a measurable difference to running costs:
- Clean coils. Dirty evaporator and condenser coils raise pressures, cut capacity and push up power use. Our air conditioning coil cleaners cover indoor and outdoor units.
- Correct charge. Under or over-charged systems lose efficiency. Accurate measurement with good gauges and manifolds and a refrigerant scale is the foundation of a good service.
- Find leaks early. A slow leak quietly drags efficiency down long before the system stops cooling or heating. See our leak detection range.
- Keep condensate flowing. A blocked drain or tired pump can trip a system or cause water damage. Replacement mini condensate pumps and accessories are worth carrying on the van.
Talking to customers
Customers hear a lot about energy prices but rarely about maintenance. A short conversation about annual servicing, backed by the running cost argument, helps them get more from their system and builds repeat work for you. It is also worth keeping an eye on how the government responds to the committee, as any shift in levies would strengthen the case for electric heating and cooling.
Stocking up for winter servicing? Call us on 0161 775 1190, Monday to Friday, 9am–4pm, and we'll help you find the right parts.
Heat pumps and air conditioning run on electricity. While more energy policy costs sit on electricity bills than on gas, running costs compare less favourably with a gas boiler than system efficiency alone suggests. The Commons Energy Security and Net Zero Committee has recommended moving those costs onto gas; until anything changes, regular servicing is the best way to keep running costs down.
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