If you read the article carefully, it notes that part of the problem in some colder climates is a lack of home insulation. Norwegian homes are well-insulated and therefore very suitable for heat pumps. The home owner with the furnace was US-based, by the way.
The author is not "pulling crap" because they point out the real experience of Norwegian home owners while also describing the diversity of heat pump installations and outcomes.
The BBC article says "Every time the game is played, a reliably navigable maze is pumped out. Were the table’s values random or even slightly different, the maze would likely fail to be drawn with a playable path through it." <- the example in fig 5 IS in principle playable - the point I think is that the maze is not drawn in a way that would leave a player stumped even if they had a make-break at their disposal. i.e. Endless wall in the way.
It's not, though? Range of new analysis discussed and the scientist wrote a report on the horsemeat scandal (was found in range of minced beef products) - huge uk news story at the time.
The author is not "pulling crap" because they point out the real experience of Norwegian home owners while also describing the diversity of heat pump installations and outcomes.
They're actually being very honest.