Western Europe is crawling out of its first major heatwave of the summer. But as the recent heat dome moves east, and western Europeans start to fear the next one, it’s clear that action is needed.
June’s record-breaking heat broke all records. But scientists warn us that it is only a taste of what’s to come.
The climate is increasingly deregulated by the fossil fuels we continue to burn. The weather will get more erratic and dangerous wherever we live.
And air conditioning has become a highly politicised hot topic.
But arguing about air conditioning is missing the point – there is a solution which works, and which avoids the very CO2 emissions which are sending temperatures all over the place.
An air to air heat pump works just like an air conditioner, bringing your home or office from furnace to fresh in minutes.
But unlike an air conditioner, it also heats your home when the temperature outside drops.
This means that swapping a fossil fuel boiler – and possible air conditioning – for a heat pump is saving you energy all year round!
That means lower bills, as well as a comfortable home or workplace.
So what can be done to help people to make the switch, and get their own heat pump?
Next week in its Electrification Action Plan, the European Commission should encourage governments to reduce taxes on electricity and allow them to bring VAT to zero on heat pumps.
This will make them more competitive with fossil fuels, and more affordable for everyone.
What’s more, the EU should recognise cooling as an essential energy service.
It can do this by promoting reversible heat pump solutions, integrating cooling into national policy frameworks, ensuring access for vulnerable households and promoting the capture and re-use of waste heat from cooling.
