The defeat of a European proposal to label radiators as unsuitable for use with heat pumps is a major victory for the industry, according to the Manufacturers' Association of Radiators & Convectors (MARC).

The European Commission Delegated Regulation (of 18.2.2913) on energy labelling of space heaters had contained a proposal that a label featuring a radiator with a cross through it be placed on heat pump packaging. The result would have mistakenly informed installers and end users that modern steel-panel radiators are not capable of working well with low-water-temperature technology.

MARC chairman John Colling (pictured) said: “The idea of a label of this nature was completely misguided, because modern steel-panel radiators are as efficient, if not more so, than other emitter types when it comes to working with low water temperatures.

“This is not only a huge victory for our industry, but also a vital decision for the housing market. Around 23.6 million of the UK’s 26.3 million homes have hydronic heating systems and there are around 190 million radiators installed. With 70% of the UK’s housing stock of 2050 already in place, if people are to upgrade their systems to incorporate heat pumps, then it makes sense to use them with radiators.

“A symbol suggesting that this isn’t possible would have been a major stumbling block to such efforts to improve the efficiency of homes, because it would have increased both disruption and cost.”