23 April 2025
|
Bill Esterson MP, Chair of Parliament’s Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, visited the Truro headquarters of ground source heat pump manufacturer Kensa to see how the Cornwall-based company is powering the UK’s shift to low-cost, low-carbon heating and helping grow the green economy.
The Chair of the Committee was given a behind-the-scenes tour of the factory, witnessing first-hand how Kensa’s Shoebox and Shoebox NX heat pumps are manufactured.
Mr Esterson also visited the nearby village of Stithians, home to Kensa’s ‘Heat the Streets’ project, to see how an entire neighbourhood has had its heating transformed. Launched in 2022, the scheme saw over 40 homes fitted with ground source heat pumps and connected to a shared network of boreholes and underground pipework, providing each property with clean, affordable heating.
With the long-awaited Future Homes Standard expected this year, phasing out gas boilers for new homes, discussions during the visit focused on the role of heat pumps in delivering clean, affordable heating for these properties. Mr Esterson heard how, through its partnership with utility provider GTC, Kensa is prepared to support housebuilders and bring the best possible heating to new developments.
He and Kensa CEO Tamsin Lishman also discussed the urgent need to decarbonise existing housing stock and lower household bills, hearing how Kensa is helping lift thousands of social housing tenants out of fuel poverty and replacing outdated electric or gas systems with highly efficient, compact ground source heat pumps.
Kensa also outlined its growth plans, including how it will scale up to manufacture 50,000 ground source heat pumps annually by the end of the decade. This is expected to reduce production and installation costs by at least 20%, support over 7,000 skilled green jobs across the UK, and make low-carbon heating more affordable for households nationwide.
Bill Esterson MP, Chair of the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, said: “As Chair of the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, I get to visit companies across the country making a massive difference to people’s lives, and Kensa is a great example of what the transition to a low carbon economy has to offer. I was very impressed by everything I saw at Kensa’s Truro factory. From the dedication to British supply chains, the creation of well-paid green jobs, which is really important to Cornwall and really important across the country, to the commitment to tackling fuel poverty and heat decarbonisation at scale.
“Kensa’s networked heat pumps are a tried and tested technology that has been installed in thousands of homes across the country and has a crucial role to play in decarbonising Britain’s homes from terraced streets to high-rise blocks of flats. I look forward to continuing to work with Kensa to identify evidence of the benefits of networked heat pumps and the Future Homes Standard, so that policies are implemented as soon as possible which allow more people to benefit from affordable low carbon heat.”
Tamsin Lishman, CEO at Kensa, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Bill to the factory and showcase how our British-made ground source heat pumps are already delivering heating that’s better for people, their pockets, and the planet.
“From the Cornish village of Stithians to 100-year-old flats in central London and new build homes across the country, Kensa’s systems are reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels, lowering bills, and cutting emissions.
"This visit was a valuable opportunity to highlight how policies, such as the Future Homes Standard, can support the rapid rollout of this proven technology. With the right backing, we can scale up our solutions, grow British manufacturing, create thousands of green jobs, and make low-carbon heating the affordable, everyday choice for households across the UK.”
https://kensa.co.uk
