Energy in Demand News, July 12-13, 2026

Eurostar, the international high-speed rail service in Western Europe, will now be building its new generation of trains to withstand 55C summers. The new trains, to be built by Alstom, were originally designed to cope with conditions of up to 45C. But the UK Times website quotes Gwendoline Cazenave, chief executive of Eurostar, saying: “We … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, July 12-13, 2026 →

Blog by Rose Morrison – Europe’s heat pump revolution: 2.9 million sales in 2025 avoid €9.7 billion in gas import costs

https://unsplash.com/photos/a-hand-holding-a-white-box-with-a-black-and-red-label-rP1iwkrbSe0 The Electrify Now initiative was launched on June 23, 2026, during London Climate Action Week launched to address the European energy crisis and reduce reliance on volatile gas markets. The European Commission, alongside other organisations and countries, seeks to achieve energy independence through new technologies that enhance energy security. Heat pump technology is among … Continue reading Blog by Rose Morrison – Europe’s heat pump revolution: 2.9 million sales in 2025 avoid €9.7 billion in gas import costs →

Blog by Jane Marsh – why insulation comes first: the Warm Homes Plan’s focus on fabric-first energy efficiency

Energy-efficient homes remain a central priority within the Warm Homes Plan. It supports broader national decarbonisation efforts by lowering residential energy demand before expanding low-carbon infrastructure. The strategy follows a fabric-first approach in housing policy and retrofit planning, emphasising building envelope improvements to reduce heat loss and improve long-term building performance. Rather than relying immediately … Continue reading Blog by Jane Marsh – why insulation comes first: the Warm Homes Plan’s focus on fabric-first energy efficiency →

France’s energy transition: wanting to fast-track its electrification

Liam Gilliver writes on the Euronews website that French Prime Minister Sébastian Lecornu says electrification is now a concern of ‘national interest’ and no longer just about climate change. France wants to fast-track its electrification as the war on Iran continues to highlight the dangers of fossil fuel reliance with some new initiatives. In a … Continue reading France’s energy transition: wanting to fast-track its electrification →

Plans for Thames River to be the source for heat pump in central London

A news item on the BBC News website describes the plan to use the Thames River as the source for low-carbon heating in London. Plans to power London landmarks with Thames heat A new £72.7million communal heat network could provide low-carbon heating for the National Theatre and other London landmarks near Waterloo and the … Continue reading Plans for Thames River to be the source for heat pump in central London →

Energy in Demand News, January 25-26, 2026

The Financial Times reported this week that Norway’s oil fund wants companies to be allowed to water down their climate goals, arguing the alternative was for a major net zero initiative to fall apart. “The $2tn oil fund told the FT it feared companies could back away from the idea of science-backed climate targets unless … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, January 25-26, 2026 →

Decarbonising home heating: UK bets £15bn on solar and heat pumps

Esme Stallard and Justin Rowlatt write on the BBC News website about the latest programme to decarbonise Britain’s homes. Ministers are tilting Britain’s “homes upgrade” spending away from insulation and towards technologies such as solar panels, batteries and heat pumps as they seek to lift 1mn families out of fuel poverty. Is this the right … Continue reading Decarbonising home heating: UK bets £15bn on solar and heat pumps →

Industrial heating practices in UK manufacturing: survey results

Star Refrigeration has published the findings of its nationwide Industrial Heat Pump Research Survey, uncovering significant opportunities for UK manufacturers to cut energy costs, reduce carbon emissions and modernise ageing heating infrastructure through heat pumps and heat recovery technologies. However, the survey also found that most UK manufacturers cannot say how much heat they use … Continue reading Industrial heating practices in UK manufacturing: survey results →

Clean heat at city scale: the case for giant heat pumps

As towns and cities around the world seek to decarbonise, many are deciding to purchase large heat pumps, which can attach to district heating networks. In an article on the BBC News website, Chris Baraniuk discusses some of the latest developments. Meet the biggest heat pumps in the world The pipe that will supply … Continue reading Clean heat at city scale: the case for giant heat pumps →

Energy in Demand News, May 25-26, 2025

While there has been more environmental reporting, there have also been more academic studies that prove that there are serious grounds for doubt about the published environmental results. A Financial Times newsletter refers to one draft paper from King’s College London that uses data from Climate Trace, an open-access initiative that takes inputs from more … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, May 25-26, 2025 →