A man says he is facing a staggering £7,000 energy bill - after replacing his heating system with a £25,000 Government-backed 'green' heat pump. Officials are currently providing grants for up to £5,000 to home owners who remove a gas central heating and hot water system and replace it with a heat pump.
But the new system - backed by many in the green lobby - has apparently left many UK homeowners in the cold. Steve Mason, 58, spent thousands on his brand new system and has says he has seen his bills rocket despite his thermostat being set at a mere 17 degrees.
Based on the same technology as refrigerators, the air pump pulls heat out from outside air and into the house, and can be run on renewably generated electricity - making them carbon neutral. However with the highest electricity prices and the least insulated homes in Europe, early adopters are counting the cost of going green.
