How can clean heating be made affordable for consumers, and how can Europe remain competitive while strengthening its clean technology manufacturing base? During two sessions on 10 and 11 June, policymakers, industry specialists and energy experts explored what it would take to achieve both.
On 10 June, the focus was on reducing heat pump costs and improving the customer journey. The discussion featured Jonathan Volt (European Commission Joint Research Centre), Jan van Rooijen (Warmtepompvergelijker. nl), Janina Ketterer (Octopus Energy), Stefan Kolb (Carrier HVAC), Niels Ladefoged (DG Energy) and Maarten De Groote (VITO).
The session was moderated by EHPA Policy Director Jozefien Vanbecelaere. The scale of the challenge is considerable. Speakers discussed barriers to accelerating technology adoption from both policy and industry perspectives.
The panel highlighted the importance of the electricity-to-gas price ratio as a key lever for reducing costs and improving the business case for heat pumps.
Panellists identified several ways to make heat pumps more attractive and affordable, including more competitive electricity prices, smart tariffs, greater system flexibility and stable, predictable support schemes. Successful implementation of ETS2 was also identified as an important factor in the transition. But affordability is not just about energy prices.
