TV presenter George Clarke: I think everyone should have one of these in their homes

George Clarke is originally from Sunderland but was up in Manchester and regularly frequents the area, he said: “My son’s just finished university here and I’ve got some really good friends here as well. [...] a number of my friends are home builders and developers in Manchester as well.”

Adding: “So, yeah, I’m in Manchester a lot. I always try and get North as much as I can.”

George is also an ambassador for Shelter and Big issue, which overlaps with his passion for creating sustainable and affordable homes, he said: “First and foremost, I’m passionate about British homes and that’s from every aspect of it. I mean, obviously I’m an architect and designer, so I’m always looking to have higher quality, well built, designed homes.”

Adding: “The government needs to build more social housing to provide for those that need a roof over their head . But also, when it comes to home heating its about protecting yourself in terms of energy costs and the future of gas and oil prices going up. If we can have more of an electrified, more affordable UK energy system [...] Hopefully that’s going to get energy heat costs down in the long run.”

One of those ways for creating a more energy efficient home is through a heat pump which George believes everyone should be leaning towards having in their homes, he said: “One of the things I call for more than anything is for the government to ban gas boilers in new build houses.”

Adding: “If the government want us to get to net zero by 2050, we’ve got to stop burning gas.”

A big question that people may have in their minds in regard to heat pumps can be the cost upfront, however, not many people know that as part of the government’s boiler upgrade scheme you can get a grant of £7,500 towards a heat pump.

In relation to this, George said: “It’s about raising public awareness. It’s about myth busting because there’s a lot of lies out there about air source heat pumps, but it’s also about that government support and I really hope they keep that support going because that’s going to be a big financial incentive to consumers.”

For any fans of George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, you’ll be glad to know that a new series will be coming soon with filming taking place across across the UK. Additionally, George is currently working on a new series about multi-generational living which is certainly one to keep an eye out for.