Energy cuts: Father-of-two slashes bills by £70 a month after 'no-brainer' switch

EXCLUSIVE Labour accused of abandoning Britain's White Van Man with broken promises 1794054836.035 Exclusive Father-of-two slashes energy bills by £70 a month after 'no-brainer' switch The father-of-two paid around £1,250 after receiving a £9,000 government grant towards the installation Sign up to the Money Newsletter I agree to receive updates and information about my account, the GB News Community, and related products and services from GB News.

Email address Sign up By signing up you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and Community Rules. Thank you for signing up! See the latest from GB News here . Choose GB News on Google - add us as a preferred source Choose GB News Support GB News Champion free speech and independent journalism while unlocking exclusive benefits. Support us A father-of-two has cut his family's energy bills by as much as £840 a year after making what he called a "no-brainer" home upgrade.

His experience comes as more households consider changing how they heat their homes amid rising energy costs Jason Kinns says switching from LPG heating to a heat pump was a "no-brainer" after a £9,000 government grant covered most of the installation. The 44-year-old lives with his wife and two young children in a three-bedroom semi-detached home in Dunton, near Biggleswade in Bedfordshire. The village is not connected to the gas grid, leaving the family reliant on LPG delivered to a tank supplying their home.

Mr Kinns told GB News: "We were paying a total of around £170 per month before. The standing charge alone was quite extortionate with the LPG. "There is no gas in the village, so we had a tank supply running to the house. It seemed like every other month they were putting the price up and it became non-viable." TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The family explored other ways to heat their home before deciding on an air-source heat pump.

Mr Kinns said: "It was a no-brainer, really. It costs less to run, it is more efficient, it is saving us money and it is more friendly for the planet. Everything aligned towards the same answer." He estimates that the switch is now saving the household between £65 and £70 each month, equivalent to between £780 and £840 a year. "We explored the other options and the heat pump seemed to be the best one," he said. "We are saving approximately £65 to £70 a month at the moment.

When you average that out, it is quite a bit of money." The upfront cost would have been difficult for the family to meet without help from the Government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The father-of-two is saving around £70 a month | GBNEWS/OCTOPUS Mr Kinns received a £9,000 grant and paid around £1,250 himself. He said: "We ended up paying about £1,250. I don't know the exact figure, but I think we received around £9,000 in subsidies, so a massive chunk of it was paid through the scheme.

"Having the Boiler Upgrade Scheme massively helped. Having that subsidy to help us buy it was obviously a big plus." The scheme currently offers £9,000 towards eligible air-to-water or ground-source heat pumps in certain homes that are not connected to the gas grid. The enhanced support is available until March 31, 2027. Other eligible households can receive £7,500 towards an air-to-water, ground-source or water-source heat pump. Mr Kinns admitted that he may not have made the change without the grant.

"The initial outlay would have been a bit of a stumbling block," he explained. "We do not have a lot of disposable money, so the government grant was more than one step in the right direction. It really helped. Jason Kinns says switching from LPG heating to a heat pump was a "no-brainer" | GBNEWS/OCOTPUS "Without it, it would have been difficult to justify the initial outlay. You can see the benefits, but having around £8,000 sitting around for it is not something everyone is going to have."

Interest in heat pumps has risen amid higher gas prices and uncertainty surrounding future government support. Octopus Energy recorded a 58 per cent increase in heat pump enquiries during October, reaching the highest level since March. Government figures also showed more than 9,700 grant applications were made in September, up 30 per cent from August. The number of vouchers issued more than doubled compared with the previous year. The individual grant amounts have not been cut.

However, last week's Budget kept the scheme's funding at £400million in 2027/28, below the amount previously planned, before increasing it broadly in line with inflation. Installing the heat pump involved removing Mr Kinns's existing boiler and changing equipment inside the airing cupboard. He said: "We had a new tank fitted and new pipework running down. It was a pretty straightforward installation for the guys. "They were absolutely fantastic.

We had an electrician and a plumber come, and it has been seamless pretty much the whole time. "We are seeing the benefits a few months down the line. The bills have gone down quite drastically and we are living la vida loca." Jason stressed that his relatively new and well-insulated home was particularly suited to the technology. "We have blown cavities and loads of insulation in the loft, and the house keeps its heat really well," he said.

"Our house is a three-bedroom semi-detached. It is well insulated, holds the heat and is in a really good position to have an air-source heat pump. It seems to suit our property really nicely." Octopus Energy recorded a 58 per cent increase in heat pump enquiries during October | OCTOPUS ENERGY He is now considering installing solar panels through Octopus to help power the heat pump and reduce the home's environmental impact further. Jason added: "I would tell people to absolutely go for it if they have the money for the initial outlay.

They should explore the Boiler Upgrade Scheme as well because that helped us. I would be green-lighting everyone to get one. So far, it has been fantastic for us." Government grants have played a key role in helping more households switch to heat pumps, with demand reaching record levels, according to Charlotte Snelgrove, director of low carbon tech at Octopus Energy. "The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has been absolutely pivotal in ramping up heat pump installations across Britain, helping more households get their hands on cleaner heating," she said.

Heat pump enquiries at Octopus jumped by 58 per cent in October. Nearly 10,000 households also applied for Boiler Upgrade Scheme vouchers in September, a record high, according to the latest government figures cited by Ms Snelgrove. The benefits go beyond individual homes, she added: "The scheme is also strengthening UK energy security by reducing our reliance on imported gas and oil, while backing British jobs and manufacturing. Our Cosy heat pump, for example, is made right here in the UK."

Ms Snelgrove welcomed the Government's continued commitment to funding the technology and supporting tens of thousands of households considering a switch. "If you're thinking about getting a heat pump, explore your options, get the ball rolling and get your hands on the grant now." Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter Exclusive Money Millions face mortgage payment shock as fixed deals end: How much more could you pay? Money Octopus Energy shares secret boiler hack that can slash £65 off your energy bills this winter Money British snack retailer falls into administration just weeks after breaking advertising rules Money Ftse 100 hits four-week low as $3trillion US stock market sell-off spreads to UK Money Britain's most affordable places to buy a home revealed - with prices from £73,600 Money DWP confirms Winter Fuel Payment dates as pensioners to get £300 cash boost Money Nationwide raises savings rates on popular accounts after Bank of England hike - full list of changes Money Inflation forecast to hit 5% next year as Bank of England warns of mounting economic pressure Money Bank of England hikes interest rate to 4% - what it means for your mortgage and savings Money Britain's cheapest supermarket revealed as shoppers face £61 price gap Money Pound rises to post-Brexit high: What it means for your holidays, savings and investments Money Pound climbs to its highest level since Brexit referendum Money Top current account switch offers as millions could get up to £300 free cash by Christmas - full list Money M&S boss blasts Labour over 'one of the biggest tax grabs in history' Money Millions could face higher gas bills to cover cost of neighbours switching to heat pumps Money Half a million homeowners could see mortgage costs rise by £369 after Bank of England decision Money Ftse 100 makes surprise gain after US midterms shock sparks sharp overnight sell-off Money Wetherspoon to open up to 25 new pubs over the next year - multiple locations confirmed Money Poundland handed £12.5million rescue offer as bidder pledges to protect jobs Money Bank of England expected to raise interest rates for first time since 2023 Money Pension rule SCRAPPED as grieving families handed major boost in Budget Money Poundland update: No10 says owners 'not acting in the best interests' of staff as Tesco eyes 150 stores Money DWP unveils pension shake-up that could give 17million workers an income for life Money Nationwide launches market-leading savings account in boost for customers Money British Gas to resume force-fitting prepayment meters this winter after three-year suspension Money Rachel Reeves says £66billion tax rises left Britain better off Money Virgin Media O2 to axe thousands of jobs in £800million cost-cutting drive Money Ryanair workers face pay freeze as Michael O’Leary hits out at Labour Budget Money Andy Burnham confirms £380 tax boost for 400,000 households Exclusive Money 'HMRC wants £12.5k before I've opened the doors': Business owner risks family savings as Budget adds to costs