Everything Electric Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Artificial Irrelevance? Or can AI enable boiler-price heat pump installs?
Date: December 1, 2025
Host: Robert Llewellyn (Fully Charged Show)
Guest: Adam Chapman (Founder, Heat Geek)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the domestic heating industry, particularly by making heat pump installations as affordable (or even more so) than gas boilers in the UK. Robert Llewellyn interviews Adam Chapman from Heat Geek, exploring the rapid changes in heat pump technology, business models, and installation processes. A central focus is Heat Geek’s new “Zero Disrupt” AI-driven system, which dramatically reduces cost and disruption for homeowners while scaling up efficient installations across the country.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Industrial Shift in Home Heating (00:04–03:58)

• Robert introduces the episode in the context of the global energy transition away from burning fossil fuels towards renewables and electrification.

• Heat pumps are pinpointed as a central technology for heating homes sustainably.

  “The building blocks of technologies that don't require us to burn fuel but to still do the things that we need to do, like not freeze to death in the winter… And that is what Adam is talking about.” (Robert, 01:13)

2. Heat Geek’s Mission & the Challenge of Scale (03:58–05:37)

• Adam explains Heat Geek’s origins: setting the gold standard for hyper-efficient, tailored installations and training.

• Until now, installations were manual, calculation-heavy, often over-engineered (and expensive) to account for worst-case scenarios.

  “If it's very manual… we end up oversizing. We have all this sort of fat and contingency.” (Adam, 05:06)

3. From Bespoke and Expensive to Affordable with AI (05:37–09:10)

• Heat Geek began using AI to optimize data from thousands of installations—enter “Zero Disrupt.”

• AI analyzes scans and usage data to determine exactly what a home needs for a target efficiency, often requiring less new equipment than previously assumed.

• Cost for a base install dropped from ~£10,000 to around £3,000—cheaper than an average boiler.

  “We’ve gone from the most expensive in the industry to the cheapest… with the same high quality installers literally overnight.” (Adam, 08:02)

  “The average boiler install is three and a half grand. So we're now cheaper than boilers. This is phase one.” (Adam, 07:55)

4. How Does the AI System Work? (11:58–13:48)

• Installers use an iPad with LIDAR to scan the home, building a detailed 3D model.

• Input includes water hardness, hot water requirements, occupancy, and more.

• The AI sets the absolute minimum equipment changes needed for a promised efficiency, with a guarantee.

  “If you did select 380% efficiency... we would pay to go back and maybe make a radiator a bit bigger… We've never actually had to do that yet.” (Adam, 12:41)

5. The Efficiency Paradigm Shift (18:23–20:56)

• Heat Geek now “sells” efficiency, not flow temperatures or technical specs.

• Homeowners can select their desired efficiency and see the savings compared to gas boilers.

  “We've designed this around shifting the paradigm from flow temperatures… to this is the efficiency you're going to buy and this is the absolute minimum you're going to need to do to your house to get that efficiency.” (Adam, 07:54)

  “The reason we get over 100% efficiency… we're not creating heat, we're actually just moving heat from outside to inside.” (Adam, 18:23)

• Adam explains 335% efficiency is roughly “gas parity” for UK homes.

6. Practical & Psychological Barriers (13:48–17:14 & 21:22–29:01)

• Adam and Robert discuss pushback and myths: heat pumps “don’t work,” are “too expensive,” or only for the rich.

• The big cost drop changes the market for regular homeowners.

• Installations are now far quicker and less disruptive—“zero disruption” is often only changing a single radiator.

  “The average radiators to be swapped is 1. It’s actually 0.8… So, in theory, it could be less than some boiler installations.” (Adam, 16:34)

• The gas boiler industry is mature but plateaued, unlike the emerging, rapidly improving heat pump market.

7. The Economics, Government Policy, and Mass Adoption (26:51–29:01)

• Hidden fossil fuel subsidies far dwarf those for heat pumps.

• Government grants (the “BUS” grant) directly reduce homeowner costs by £7,500.

• Policy inertia and industry conservatism slow new-build adoption, but market dynamics will soon shift as heat pumps become the expected norm.

  "Fossil fuels get £17.5 billion every single year… If they didn't get that your gas bill would be… it just wouldn't be feasible for anyone." (Adam, 27:11)

  "We're encouraging to make the most of [the grant]… not trying to drive a sale, but… make the most of it.” (Adam, 40:45)

8. AI, Installers, and the Human Element (33:04–38:05)

• Adam stresses the platform is designed to enhance human installers, not replace them.

• Heat Geek is a network of passionate engineers, not a big corporate.

• The goal is to empower local businesses and avoid monopolization by utility giants.

  “We never ever want to replace humans. We’re trying to lift these up on a pedestal that they should be on… This whole transition should not be forgetting the little guy.” (Adam, 34:37)

9. Heat Pumps: Myths, Old Homes, and Retrofits (44:40–47:56)

• There are enough skilled heating engineers; the issue is redirecting their work toward heat pumps.

• Adam’s data show heat pumps work even in old, poorly insulated homes, busting a key myth.

  “Heat pumps work in all age homes. You don’t need to worry about the insulation, etc… We guarantee 340% efficiency minimum in any home, any age.” (Adam, 46:32)

10. The Road Ahead & Adam’s Optimism (50:31–52:49)

• The heating industry is on the cusp of a major, AI-powered transformation.

• Further improvements in process, accuracy, and cost are coming.

• Adam’s contagious positivity stands out, as does his commitment to decarbonisation and boosting local trades.

  “We've barely begun. We have a ton more we can do to strip this process down, make it way more simpler and easier.” (Adam, 50:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I knew [AI] was going to be good, but I did not know it's going to be that… AI is really good turns out.” (Adam, 08:36)
• “The only way to [decarbonize] is to beat the existing technology. And that's obviously gas boilers… So now we're below that [in price].” (Adam, 14:06)
• “It's all about going to the home, collecting as many data points as possible. And the more data points we give it, the less it will give you or sell you unnecessarily for your selected efficiency.” (Adam, 13:29)
• “Modern [heat pumps] are now so quiet… if you average the sound over the year, it's way, way, way, way quieter than a gas boiler.” (Adam, 24:28)
• "Whether you believe in climate change or not… It is only gonna economically help us to feed more renewable energy into the grid." (Adam, 37:22)
• “You can heat a shed on the moon with a heat pump.” (Adam, 47:55)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 00:04 | Introduction & framing the clean energy revolution | | 03:58 | Adam introduces new AI-driven approach | | 07:47 | Core innovation: From technical specs to efficiency-focused offers | | 12:41 | Data collection, guarantees and real-world performance | | 16:34 | Zero disruption: minimal home disturbance | | 21:22 | Heat pump vs. gas boiler economics | | 26:51 | Fossil fuel subsidies, unfair comparisons | | 33:04 | The value and community of skilled installers | | 40:00 | Government’s “BUS” grant, price breakdown | | 44:40 | Addressing skill shortages and installer reality | | 47:56 | Old homes and the myth that insulation is essential | | 50:31 | Next steps and Adam’s vision for scaling and improving further |

Tone & Style

• The episode is energetic, engaging, and occasionally irreverent (true to both host and guest).
• There’s a conversational, enthusiastic, and technical but accessible tone.
• Both Robert and Adam frequently highlight social and practical obstacles, bust myths, and emphasize solutions.

Who Should Listen

• Homeowners considering replacing their boilers
• Heating engineers and tradespeople interested in the future of home energy
• Sustainability enthusiasts and policymakers
• Anyone curious about practical applications of AI beyond headlines

Final Note

This episode delivers a practical, optimistic roadmap for how AI and data-driven thinking are making home decarbonisation real, affordable, and scalable—with a strong focus on empowering both installers and everyday homeowners while hastening the energy transition.