Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to ADE’s report entitled "No Home Left Behind", what assessment she has made of the potential merits of using heat batteries to reduce noise pollution in dense urban areas where heat pump noise can block installation.

Decarbonising heating in Scotland is largely devolved, allowing the Scottish Government to set its own policies and support schemes, such as the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme.

Industry has taken significant strides to reduce noise emissions from heat pumps. The department commissioned independent research, published in 2023, which found that noise complaints from air source heat pumps are rare and that their sound emissions are perceived as being very quiet.

For the small number of properties for which heat pumps or heat networks may not be suitable, heat batteries may play a role in decarbonising domestic heating.