Twilight Talks

Our Twilight Talks are a relaxed and informal string of events on sustainable building matters to complement our regular training topics.

Each one-hour event is FREE of charge and features short talks from one or more speakers. With Q&A and discussion sessions throughout, everyone is invited to be part of the conversation. We hold Twilight talks at 5-6pm, in the sweet spot between work and dinner – so join us to nourish the mind before replenishing the body!

Heat Pumps - From 'Warts and All' Experiences to Potential Solutions

Decarbonising home heating via heat pumps is currently fraught with challenges from choosing the right installer, ensuring quality installations and handovers.

In this month's Twilight Talk, Matt Jones from Bristol City Council shares his team's ‘warts and all’ experiences with installations of heat pumps in social housing and walks through a series of resources the team has created to tackle the issues they have come across.

About the Speaker

Matt Jones - Project Coordinator, Energy, Bristol City Council 

Matt works in the Climate Change Service where he focuses on the delivery and performance of heat pumps. His role spans policy development, programme design, market engagement, innovation pilots and supporting ontheground delivery, striving
for the best possible outcomes for residents and buildings. Matt has worked extensively at the interface between local government, installers, manufacturers and the research community to improve standards and accelerate the transition to clean heat.

Matt has led the City Council’s work on heat pump quality assurance, collaborating with partners including Nesta and the University of Bristol to systematically review and redesign the organisation’s approach. This work is grounded in practical
experience, drawing on insights from the delivery and review of nearly 100 inhome heat pump installation audits across Bristol. The programme has helped identify recurring technical, design and consumerexperience issues and translate them into actionable changes to specifications, procurement, installer engagement and homeowner support, contributing to higherquality installations and improved confidence in heat pump deployment at scale.