Show Notes
Episode Brief Most net zero roadmaps have ticked off Scope 2. Renewable tariffs, LED lighting, EV charging. The boiler is still running on gas, and it is still the biggest single source of direct emissions on site. This month we sit down with David Leighton, National Distribution Sales Manager for LG HVAC Solutions across the UK and Ireland, to talk about why heat pumps have stopped being a residential nice-to-have and started being a commercial necessity. We cover the myths holding businesses back, what performance actually looks like at minus seven degrees, and what a realistic transition plan looks like for a multi-site food and beverage or commercial operator working to SECR and SBTi obligations. Show Notes What we cover Why heating sits in a blind spot in most net zero strategies, and what that gap is costing businesses in carbon credibility The myths on noise, cold-weather performance and installation disruption that are quietly delaying board-level decisions Why the transition feels complicated for multi-site operators, and the practical first step to take What a heating switch actually does to a company's Scope 1 position, energy bill and investor conversations Where heat pumps sit in the commercial market five years from now
Key moments 00:00 Welcome and introductions 03:00 Warm-up: 20 years watching heating go from gas-first to a credible low-carbon alternative 08:00 Problem 1: the Scope 1 blind spot in net zero roadmaps 18:00 Problem 2: the myths doing real damage to decision-making 28:00 Problem 3: why the transition feels complicated, and where to start 40:00 Looking ahead, and David's one thing every business leader should do differently Timestamps are approximate. Confirm against the final edit before publishing. Facts worth pulling out for the post Heating and hot water account for around 40% of total UK energy consumption LG's Therma V heat pump holds 100% heating capacity at -7°C, addressing the cold-weather objection directly Switching from gas or oil to an air-to-water heat pump can cut carbon emissions by up to 70% in a well-insulated UK commercial property LG has SBTi-verified targets to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 54.6% by 2030 against a 2017 baseline Under SECR, UK organisations with 250+ employees or £36m+ turnover must report Scope 1 and 2 emissions annually, and heating is typically a major component
Grant scheme figures and specific savings numbers change. Confirm current amounts with David before this goes out, rather than repeating anything above without a check. Why this matters A sustainable business can also be a successful business, and this episode is a good example of where that shows up in practice. Food and beverage operators carry large thermal loads and refrigerated space; media, marketing and advertising businesses carry leased office heating decisions and investor-facing ESG reporting. Both sit on the same Scope 1 lever, and both are running out of reasons to leave it untouched. Links and next steps LG HVAC Solutions: HVAC - Air Conditioning Solutions | LG UK Business Leave us a review on your podcast app, it helps other business leaders find the show
Do you know an enterprise organisation who might benefit from a chat with me? Please put them in touch. Guest Bio: David Leighton David Leighton is National Distribution Sales Manager for LG HVAC Solutions across the UK and Ireland. He has spent over 20 years in the plumbing and heating industry, working with distributors, merchants and specification channels across some of the country's most demanding commercial and industrial markets. Before joining LG Electronics' Energy Solutions division, David held senior roles at Plumbase, where he built deep expertise in heating product distribution and key account management. His background spans solar thermal, heat pumps, gas and oil heating, and B2B channel development. At LG, David's focus is helping businesses see that low-carbon heating is not a compromise; it is a commercially sound d
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