JLN Plumbing & Heating Makes the Pages of the Financial Times

We're proud to share some exciting news — JLN Plumbing & Heating has been featured in the Financial Times, one of the world's most respected and widely-read publications. Our director James Lacey spent the day with chief editor Leyla Bourton, visiting two of our customers' homes in the West Midlands to carry out heat pump surveys and discuss the real-world case for making the switch.

‍

Why the Financial Times Came to JLN

The feature explored how homeowners across the UK are responding to rising and increasingly volatile energy costs, and what practical steps they can take to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. With heat pumps sitting at the heart of that conversation, the FT needed an installer they could trust to give an honest, technically credible picture — and they chose JLN.

‍

It's a reflection of the reputation we've built over nearly two decades as specialists in renewable heating, backed by accreditations from Heat Geek, Vaillant, Octopus Energy, and the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).

‍

Visit One: A 1970s Detached Home in Bubbenhall

The first stop was a four-bedroom detached property in Bubbenhall, south of Coventry, where homeowners Suzie and James Edwards had already made the decision to move away from oil heating. With the cost of oil having risen sharply in recent months, the case for switching had only grown stronger.

James carried out a full heat loss assessment and put together a plan that included a new air source heat pump, double glazing, and upgraded radiators — all working together to make the system as efficient as possible. Based on JLN's calculations, the improvements would reduce the property's heat loss significantly, bringing projected annual electricity costs down by more than £600.

It's a clear example of what a properly scoped installation looks like: not just swapping one heat source for another, but designing a system around the specific needs of the home.

‍

Visit Two: An Arts and Crafts Home in Birmingham

The second property was a newly acquired five-bedroom Arts and Crafts house, where the owners were weighing up whether a heat pump was the right move. James conducted a thorough room-by-room heat loss survey — exactly the kind of detailed assessment that separates a quality installer from one cutting corners.

His conclusion was straightforward: before investing in a heat pump, the property needed loft and wall insulation to ensure the system would run efficiently. Without that groundwork, the heat pump would have to work far harder than necessary, driving up running costs and undermining the whole point of the upgrade. James recommended those steps first, with a heat pump installation to follow — at a net cost of £8,650 after the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.

‍

Getting It Right Matters

James has always been clear that the negative stories surrounding heat pumps almost always trace back to poor installation — under-specified systems, missed heat loss calculations, and engineers who haven't had the right training. It's why JLN invests so heavily in accreditation and why James trained with Heat Geek, the industry's gold standard for heat pump installer excellence.

When a heat pump is properly designed and installed for a home, it works. When it isn't, it doesn't — and it's homeowners who pay the price.

‍

Thinking About a Heat Pump? Start With the Right Survey

Whether you're in the early stages of research or ready to book a heat pump survey, our team is here to help. We cover Coventry, Warwickshire, and the wider West Midlands — and we bring the same care and expertise to every home we visit, whether the Financial Times is watching or not.

Get in touch today to find out what a heat pump could do for your home.