Heat pump installations remain too low according to the Government, and therefore restrictions must be further relaxed.

Having already torn up planning rules to allow heat pumps to be situated right up to the boundary, Ed Miliband’s latest push is to stop noise pollution being a barrier.

Giving evidence to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, the Energy Secretary said: “My overall approach would be to say where there are barriers, let’s get rid of them if we possibly can. If the noise thing is a barrier, obviously subject to making sure there isn’t a disturbance to people, which I don’t think there will be, we should act on that.”

Miliband’s response was to a question from the chair, Bill Esterson: “I hear from some of the retailers that, still, 35 per cent of heat pump installations require planning consent due to noise, and that anything above 35dB [actually MCS standards are 37db]… requires planning consent. Heat pumps therefore require it if they are too close to their neighbours. Do you think that further adjustments are needed?”

There are three major issues around such a policy change: first that it takes no account of how pumps can become nosier with use as the bearing wear, second that often the acoustic baffling requirements are not well understood, and finally that there are insufficient skills in the sector to ensure correct baffling, siting or maintenance.

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