Zero Carbon Homes Ep39: Dr Anastasiya Ostrovnaya & Matt Lipson

From noisy myths to quiet revolutions: Heat pumps are transforming home heating in the UK. Curious how? Tune into this deep-dive with experts from Imperial College.

Host

Dr Anastasiya Ostrovnaya - Senior Research & Teaching Fellow at the Centre for Climate Finance & Investment

Guest 

Matt Lipson – Deputy Director at Undaunted, Imperial

Today's Topics

• Challenges the ‘heat pump’ industry face in line with Net Zero targets.
• Government policies on Heat pumps
• Initiatives, new technologies and installations in UK homes
• And the driving force behind the market

Timecode Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to the Energy Futures Podcast

01:10 - Meet the Host and Guest: Anastasia Ostrovnaya & Matt Lipson

02:30 - Why Heat Pumps Matter for Net Zero

04:15 - Comparing UK and Norway: Adoption Challenges

06:00 - Government Subsidies and Public Awareness

08:00 - Electricity vs Gas Prices in the UK

10:00 - Heat Pump Efficiency Explained (COP & SCOP)

13:00 - System Design and Installation Quality

15:30 - Electricity Pricing and Smart Usage

17:45 - Scaling Up: Installer Shortages and Training

20:00 - Comfort Concerns in Older Homes

22:30 - Upfront Costs vs Running Costs

25:00 - Innovations in Heat Pump Technology

27:30 - Planning Rules and Noise Concerns

29:30 - Market Drivers: Startups vs Big Utilities

32:00 - Role of Finance and Mortgages

34:30 - EPC Ratings and Policy Misalignment

37:00 - Landlords and the Rental Market Challenge

39:30 - Ground Source Heat Pumps and New Builds

42:00 - Government Regulation and Developer Incentives

44:00 - Fuel Poverty and Warm Home Prescriptions

46:30 - Supporting Innovation and Startups

48:00 - Will the UK Meet Its Heat Pump Targets?

49:30 - Closing Thoughts

Anastasiya’s links:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aostrovnaya/

Imperial profile link - https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/a.ostrovnaya

Matt’s links:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-lipson-20baab/

Produced by Annemarie van Basten

https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemarie-van-basten-b4289a17/

Additional Links

Get in touch if you have an innovative idea for solving the challenges with getting heat pumps installed by everyone;

Undaunted Link - https://undaunted-hq.org/contact/.

Find out more about the cool new heat pump tech developed by Anzen here: Anzen Link - https://www.anzenwalls.co.uk/

Find answers to any of your heat pump questions on Heat Geek's YouTube channel. - https://www.youtube.com/HeatGeek

Open Energy Monitor link - https://openenergymonitor.org/

There's no need to fully insulate your home for heat pumps to operate at very high efficiency according to;

University of Oxford, link - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janrosenow_new-paper-why-the-fabric-first-dogma-is-activity-7141426267156840448-9Cok?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

University College London, link - https://journal-buildingscities.org/articles/10.5334/bc.388

Nesta, link - https://www.nesta.org.uk/report/insulation-impact-how-much-do-uk-houses-really-need/

Energy Systems Catapult, link - https://es.catapult.org.uk/news/electrification-of-heat-trial-finds-heat-pumps-suitable-for-all-housing-types/

Green Alliance, link - https://green-alliance.org.uk/briefing/decarbonising-heat-while-addressing-fuel-poverty/

Government consultation on new standards for private landlords in this link - https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-the-energy-performance-of-privately-rented-homes-2025-update

Interesting businesses you can buy heat pumps from:

Heat Geek, link - https://upgrades.heatgeek.com/

Aira, link - https://www.airahome.com/en-gb

Octopus Energy, link - https://octopus.energy/order/heat-pump/