A heat pump is a renewable technology that extracts natural energy from one place and transfers it to another, to provide energy-efficient, cost-effective space heating and hot water. Heat pumps work by harnessing natural energy stored in the ground, rock, lakes, air or water. The system then feeds this renewable energy back to a heat exchanger, to provide efficient, reliable heating and hot water. Unlike costly fossil fuels, which are dwindling fast, renewable energy is secure, readily available and effectively infinite. Renewable heating systems offer a cost-effective, reliable and energy-efficient way to help us reduce our carbon footprint, and could also deliver long-term fuel savings. By installing a renewable heating technology, you could also be eligible for long-term payments for the energy you produce, through the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. What is the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)? The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is a government-backed financial incentive scheme, which rewards owners of renewable technologies for the heat they generate over a seven-year period. NIBE’s air source and ground source heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal systems are all eligible for annual payments through the scheme, with a tariff system laying out how much each could earn. For more information on the scheme and how you could benefit, click here to read NIBE’s guide to the RHI.