Richard Lowes
@richardlowes.bsky.social
Energy policy obsessive on clean/decarb, mostly clean heating and gas. Surfer, dog lover, live in Cornwall. Work for Exeter Uni and the Regulatory Assistance Project. Fellow of the Energy Institute. Co-chair of Clean Heat Forum.
The reality is that renewables and electrification are our greatest assets for energy security and indeed that is the case for many of the world's nations reliant on imports which often come from unsavoury places.
November 13, 2025 at 11:18 AM
The reality is that renewables and electrification are our greatest assets for energy security and indeed that is the case for many of the world's nations reliant on imports which often come from unsavoury places.
I've always found the UK's decline into major gas import dependency troubling and seen the electrification of demand and efficiency as the core solution to energy security AND decarbonisation (climate change is also hugely worrying to me).
November 13, 2025 at 11:18 AM
I've always found the UK's decline into major gas import dependency troubling and seen the electrification of demand and efficiency as the core solution to energy security AND decarbonisation (climate change is also hugely worrying to me).
In a world where electricity still dominates energy discussions, the tracking of heating policies is a first.
The tracker includes factsheets for the countries considered, a breakdown of key date on types of policy in place and links to further resources.
The tracker includes factsheets for the countries considered, a breakdown of key date on types of policy in place and links to further resources.
November 5, 2025 at 3:09 PM
In a world where electricity still dominates energy discussions, the tracking of heating policies is a first.
The tracker includes factsheets for the countries considered, a breakdown of key date on types of policy in place and links to further resources.
The tracker includes factsheets for the countries considered, a breakdown of key date on types of policy in place and links to further resources.
I'm delighted to share two new translations of version 2 of our global heat pump policy toolkit, one in French and one in Polish (these sit alongside the English and Korean versions). This is a key international resource for growing clean heating. www.raponline.org/toolkit/heat...
September 18, 2025 at 8:58 AM
I'm delighted to share two new translations of version 2 of our global heat pump policy toolkit, one in French and one in Polish (these sit alongside the English and Korean versions). This is a key international resource for growing clean heating. www.raponline.org/toolkit/heat...
North Sea liabilities may already be larger than future sales revenues implying this may have significant costs. But more fundamentally, the quicker you deplete an already declining basin, the more rapidly you become exposed to more imports.
Proper energy strategy needed.
Proper energy strategy needed.
August 31, 2025 at 7:33 AM
North Sea liabilities may already be larger than future sales revenues implying this may have significant costs. But more fundamentally, the quicker you deplete an already declining basin, the more rapidly you become exposed to more imports.
Proper energy strategy needed.
Proper energy strategy needed.
Reminder that electricity is stacked with levies and a carbon tax and gas gets a free pass, fundamentally imbalancing the market.
While a heat pump specific payment might deliver a few heat pumps, it won't solve fundamentals and is at risk of cancellation. Wider reform needed.
While a heat pump specific payment might deliver a few heat pumps, it won't solve fundamentals and is at risk of cancellation. Wider reform needed.
July 17, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Reminder that electricity is stacked with levies and a carbon tax and gas gets a free pass, fundamentally imbalancing the market.
While a heat pump specific payment might deliver a few heat pumps, it won't solve fundamentals and is at risk of cancellation. Wider reform needed.
While a heat pump specific payment might deliver a few heat pumps, it won't solve fundamentals and is at risk of cancellation. Wider reform needed.
We got there in the end! Well done to all involved. But that took a long time and there was a huge amount of mis-information on the way. I just found this post from February 2022.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article....
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article....
May 30, 2025 at 8:54 AM
We got there in the end! Well done to all involved. But that took a long time and there was a huge amount of mis-information on the way. I just found this post from February 2022.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article....
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article....
Happy Easter and very well done to this squirrel in Amelia Park, Worthing for beating the humans on their Easter egg hunt. Absolutely hilarious, furious parents.
April 20, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Happy Easter and very well done to this squirrel in Amelia Park, Worthing for beating the humans on their Easter egg hunt. Absolutely hilarious, furious parents.
Saturday was fun in Cornwall! I happened to be in exactly the right place! There is no energy policy angle here.
March 24, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Saturday was fun in Cornwall! I happened to be in exactly the right place! There is no energy policy angle here.
This is absolutely bonkers and quite frankly dangerous stuff from the Reform Party. Even if you were the most rabid climate change denier (which they are), you might have at least thought about energy security (and the recent gas price crisis) and innovation in markets.
February 13, 2025 at 3:40 PM
This is absolutely bonkers and quite frankly dangerous stuff from the Reform Party. Even if you were the most rabid climate change denier (which they are), you might have at least thought about energy security (and the recent gas price crisis) and innovation in markets.
Despite some limited respite in fossil gas prices last year, UK wholesale gas prices remain significantly higher than long term averages and last month, reached their highest ever level, outside the 2021-2023 crisis.
January 19, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Despite some limited respite in fossil gas prices last year, UK wholesale gas prices remain significantly higher than long term averages and last month, reached their highest ever level, outside the 2021-2023 crisis.
Happy new year from the ridiculously beautiful Isle of Skye! Sea, snowy mountains, blue skies and heat pumps! No flying either!
January 1, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Happy new year from the ridiculously beautiful Isle of Skye! Sea, snowy mountains, blue skies and heat pumps! No flying either!
Isn't that incredible.
December 10, 2024 at 4:34 PM
Isn't that incredible.
Looking forward to our panel tomorrow at COP29: 'Next Steps on the pathway towards clean heating' at 16:30 (AZT) (12:30 GMT) tomorrow 19th November. Pavilion G10 in the blue zone and will be streamed here: www.youtube.com/@BuildingsPa...
November 18, 2024 at 2:56 PM
Looking forward to our panel tomorrow at COP29: 'Next Steps on the pathway towards clean heating' at 16:30 (AZT) (12:30 GMT) tomorrow 19th November. Pavilion G10 in the blue zone and will be streamed here: www.youtube.com/@BuildingsPa...
I'd like to thank all of the project partners and the
@RegAssistProj
comms team for supporting a complex and important project. I'm also pleased that we've manage to enhance visual quality and interactivity - we've also included a video series. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTr6...
@RegAssistProj
comms team for supporting a complex and important project. I'm also pleased that we've manage to enhance visual quality and interactivity - we've also included a video series. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTr6...
November 15, 2024 at 3:31 PM
I'd like to thank all of the project partners and the
@RegAssistProj
comms team for supporting a complex and important project. I'm also pleased that we've manage to enhance visual quality and interactivity - we've also included a video series. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTr6...
@RegAssistProj
comms team for supporting a complex and important project. I'm also pleased that we've manage to enhance visual quality and interactivity - we've also included a video series. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTr6...
Thorough policy support consists of
1. Economics and markets supporting heat pumps.
2. Support for building owners such as grants is a vital part of any policy package. We see good examples.
3. Regulation needs to signal and lead to fossil fuel heating phaseouts.
1. Economics and markets supporting heat pumps.
2. Support for building owners such as grants is a vital part of any policy package. We see good examples.
3. Regulation needs to signal and lead to fossil fuel heating phaseouts.
November 15, 2024 at 3:31 PM
Thorough policy support consists of
1. Economics and markets supporting heat pumps.
2. Support for building owners such as grants is a vital part of any policy package. We see good examples.
3. Regulation needs to signal and lead to fossil fuel heating phaseouts.
1. Economics and markets supporting heat pumps.
2. Support for building owners such as grants is a vital part of any policy package. We see good examples.
3. Regulation needs to signal and lead to fossil fuel heating phaseouts.
Version 2 of the toolkit comes 2 years later, hears from a wider range of experts, is updated with recent developments and includes a wider range of technical content and case studies. But the fundamental policy support structure needed for rapid heat pump rollout remain.
November 15, 2024 at 3:31 PM
Version 2 of the toolkit comes 2 years later, hears from a wider range of experts, is updated with recent developments and includes a wider range of technical content and case studies. But the fundamental policy support structure needed for rapid heat pump rollout remain.
Heat pumps are seen as the core technology for decarbonising the heat used in buildings - technology agnosticism is not helpful here. Specific heat pump policy targeting is needed, around the world.
November 15, 2024 at 3:31 PM
Heat pumps are seen as the core technology for decarbonising the heat used in buildings - technology agnosticism is not helpful here. Specific heat pump policy targeting is needed, around the world.
It's positive that the heat pump market is growing, but it is well of track for what is needed to meet the goals of the Paris agreement and decarbonise on a reasonable time scale. Policy needs to fill a big gap.
November 15, 2024 at 3:31 PM
It's positive that the heat pump market is growing, but it is well of track for what is needed to meet the goals of the Paris agreement and decarbonise on a reasonable time scale. Policy needs to fill a big gap.
If you are interested in clean heating, we have a great panel @COP29_AZ this afternoon at 17:50 Azerbaijan time in the UK pavilion that's 13:50 UK time and 08:50 US East Coast. Can be streamed here: youtube.com/@ukcoppavilion
November 15, 2024 at 7:05 AM
If you are interested in clean heating, we have a great panel @COP29_AZ this afternoon at 17:50 Azerbaijan time in the UK pavilion that's 13:50 UK time and 08:50 US East Coast. Can be streamed here: youtube.com/@ukcoppavilion
2. On the 19th in the Buildings and Cooling Pavilion (and online) at 16:30 (AZT): 'Next steps on the pathway towards clean heating' which I will chair, featuring an address from the Polish Secretary of State for climate action Krzysztof Bolesta and another brilliant panel.
November 11, 2024 at 4:03 PM
2. On the 19th in the Buildings and Cooling Pavilion (and online) at 16:30 (AZT): 'Next steps on the pathway towards clean heating' which I will chair, featuring an address from the Polish Secretary of State for climate action Krzysztof Bolesta and another brilliant panel.
Excited to share details of two events focussed on clean heating at COP29 in Baku, both to be streamed.
1. On the 15th in the UK Pavilion at 17:50 (AZT): 'International Collaboration on Clean Heating' at which I will launch our updated heat pump toolkit and then we have a great panel.
1. On the 15th in the UK Pavilion at 17:50 (AZT): 'International Collaboration on Clean Heating' at which I will launch our updated heat pump toolkit and then we have a great panel.
November 11, 2024 at 4:03 PM
Excited to share details of two events focussed on clean heating at COP29 in Baku, both to be streamed.
1. On the 15th in the UK Pavilion at 17:50 (AZT): 'International Collaboration on Clean Heating' at which I will launch our updated heat pump toolkit and then we have a great panel.
1. On the 15th in the UK Pavilion at 17:50 (AZT): 'International Collaboration on Clean Heating' at which I will launch our updated heat pump toolkit and then we have a great panel.
But building owners need help. and we make these policy proposals, which should, based on our heat pump toolkit principles, boost the market.
Full details within the paper. Ends
Full details within the paper. Ends
September 12, 2024 at 3:22 PM
But building owners need help. and we make these policy proposals, which should, based on our heat pump toolkit principles, boost the market.
Full details within the paper. Ends
Full details within the paper. Ends
But when we considered solar PV in our analysis, the financial case for heat pumps grows very significantly. PV plus heat pumps which offer cooling are a particularly cost-effective combo compared to gas, even without any subsidy.
September 12, 2024 at 3:22 PM
But when we considered solar PV in our analysis, the financial case for heat pumps grows very significantly. PV plus heat pumps which offer cooling are a particularly cost-effective combo compared to gas, even without any subsidy.
Even with subsidy support, lifetime costs of heat pumps in Spain are higher than gas. The picture is more balanced however when we consider cooling.
September 12, 2024 at 3:21 PM
Even with subsidy support, lifetime costs of heat pumps in Spain are higher than gas. The picture is more balanced however when we consider cooling.