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Warning as heat pumps could expose Brits to killer germs under Ed Miliband’s green energy drive
FAMILIES will be exposed to killer germs under Ed Miliband’s green heating drive, an expert is warning.
The danger comes from legionella bacteria in heat pumps, a top adviser to the Net Zero Secretary has suggested.
Dr Matthew Aylott, who works in Red Ed’s department, said cases were rare.
But he added more research was needed to determine a “disinfection strategy”.
His warning came after a scathing watchdog study declared not enough was being done by the Government to reduce the risk of exposure to heat pump germs.
The Health and Safety Executive study, seen by The Sun, said: “There are concerns that these systems are susceptible to microbial contamination because they hold water at lower temperatures.”
Heat pumps often keep water at about 50C to save energy.
But legionella bacteria thrive between 25C and 45C — so can do so when systems are not hot enough to kill them off.
Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho said: “Red Ed seems determined to complete his mad dash to Net Zero — even if it means exposing Brits to killer germs.”
The Department of Energy and Net Zero said: “There is no evidence of more health-related issues coming from heat pumps compared to boilers.”
It comes as Mr Miliband’s green agenda faces a further backlash, with households being forced to pay solar farms to switch off on sunny days as the grid cannot cope.
For the first time, solar operators such as EDF Renewables and Octopus Energy have been handed payments to reduce output — with the costs added to energy bills, research by the Renewable Energy Foundation revealed.
