Working for Energy Catapult as a Local Area Energy Planning consultant, Lewis is more then familiar with the idea of heat pumps as a green alternative to the traditional gas boiler, and the 'fabric first' approach to their installation that is considered to be the icing on the cake of carbon-saving domestic renovations. But he's also well aware that homeowners struggling with energy costs can't exactly afford the kind of whole-house changes that would improve the overall thermal performance of their homes.

As the owner of an end-terrace house in Kings Heath, he set out to prove that the installation of a heat pump alone, to replace a gas boiler in an older house, does work and can be a cost effective solution to using lesson carbon for the environmentally conscious homeowner.

People have been told many a myth about the installation of heat pumps, he believes, one of them being that they are less effective in older homes.

With access to a £1,500 grant towards his new heat pump from the Government's boiler replacement scheme, and doing 'a bit of the work' of the installation himself , Lewis had his new heat pump 'crammed' into the narrow space down the side of his property. And that's it. Nothing else. No 'bells and whistles' in terms of renovation or energy saving measures were added.

He's been monitoring his bills since installation, and has seen savings, but he believes this is down to being on a smart tariff and is not heat pump related. After spending £4,500, he says he won't see a return on his investment, but he does feel much better from a carbon-conscious perspective about his previously gas-guzzling gaff.

Given the age of the housing stock in Birmingham, Lewis wants people with old homes to be aware that a heat pump replacement to a gas boiler, with no additional measures, is an option, and a good one at that.

Join us for a tour of Lewis' old house in King's Heath, to see his new heat pump, and to see and feel what a difference it's made to the thermal comfort of his house in colder climes.