Gaia has announced its support for BEAMA’s ongoing ‘Accelerating Electrification’ campaign.
BEAMA said its latest campaign aims to foster sustainable growth and investment within the UK electrical supply chain to help deliver the government’s low carbon growth strategy and decarbonise the nation’s energy, heat and transport infrastructure.
Gaia is supporting the campaign and stated that underfloor heating is “set to play a key role in the future of heating”, with systems like electric mats and cables as well as wet underfloor heating powered by heat pumps already helping to decarbonise the sector.
Steven Rooney, director of Gaia Underfloor Heating, said: “Electrification is essential for decarbonising heating in homes and businesses and underfloor heating will be key. While the government setting targets is a strong start, more investment, a detailed roadmap and clear guidance are needed to achieve these Net Zero targets, which is why this campaign is so important.”
According to BEAMA, there has been repeated delays and U-turns in relation to Net Zero and decarbonisation policies and targets, which has affected investment opportunities.
The industry body is now calling for decisive action and greater visibility of transmission and distribution network expenditure beyond 2030, it noted, in order to “deliver the supply chain requirements of tomorrow”.
Steven added: “As BEAMA says, the supply chain is ready to satisfy the increased demand for low carbon heating solutions and we’ve certainly already seen a boost in popularity. However, with greater awareness of the importance of electrification, alongside investment and government guidance, we could see an even greater uptake of underfloor heating solutions to decarbonise the sector faster.”
Gaia said that some underfloor heating systems, like electric heating mats and cables, are powered entirely by electricity, meeting both BEAMA and the government’s “ideal picture” for the future of heating.
Wet underfloor heating systems are also being increasingly paired with heat pumps as developers across the UK opt for low-carbon heat pumps as an alternative to gas boilers, it added.
Gaia stated that underfloor heating is approximately 30% more energy efficient than traditional central heating systems due to its lower operating temperature and quick heat-up times. Less energy is used to achieve the desired temperature, it cited, enhancing a building’s energy performance.
Steven said: “Underfloor heating will play a big part in helping meet the government’s Net Zero targets too. We hope that BEAMA’s campaign will prompt a clearer roadmap to electrification and we look forward to Gaia playing a key role in helping decarbonise the nation’s heating sector.”