It’s the latest in a series of measures designed to raise awareness, challenge misconceptions and generally make heat pumps a more accessible and viable solution for UK homeowners.
The ‘heat pumps explained’ page features questions such as:
- How do heat pumps work?
- How much do heat pumps cost?
- Do heat pumps save money?
- Do heat pumps make a noise?
- Do heat pumps work in cold weather? (You can also read our special report with Vital Energi)
- Do heat pumps work in older homes?
- Do heat pumps work with radiators and do they heat water?
- How can I get a heat pump?
- How do I find an installer?
Answers are provided by trusted industry experts including Charlotte Lea, CEO of the Heat Pump Association, Bean Beanland from the Heat Pump Federation, MCS’s Alex Hughes, Jo Alsop from Warmur, Joanna O’Loan of the Energy Saving Trust, Poppy Szkiler from Quiet Mark, Katy King from Nesta, Richard Halsey from Energy Systems Catapult and Zoe Guijarro from Citizens Advice.
It also features links to online tools for people to check whether their homes could be suitable for a heat pump, the financial support available, as well as more information about the actions people can take to make their homes more energy efficient.
Together with the energy efficient home campaign, these could be a useful resource for installers to recommend to customers seeking information about low carbon solutions.
As well as heat pumps, the energy efficient home campaign includes information on insulation, solar panels and various energy saving tips.
Accelerating heat pump adoption
The Government wants to accelerate heat pump adoption to 600,000 installations every year by 2030, a target which currently seems a long way off.
The UK lags way behind the rest of Europe where 19.3 million heat pumps have been installed, with figures rising year on year.
Widespread misinformation also persists, as highlighted by a recent Good Energy survey, which found ‘heat pumps are less efficient than gas boilers’ to be the most widely believed false statement.
It means efforts to dispel myths and replace them with reliable and accurate sources of information are just as important as incentives to make heat pumps, and other forms of renewable technology, as easy to access as possible, both financially and practically.
Progress is being made, but whether it’s enough to meet UK targets remains to be seen.
Last year, the number of MCS-registered heat pumps installed reached a record of almost 40,000, taking the overall total to more than 200,000 at that time.
However, figures have continued to rise since the Boiler Upgrade Scheme was increased from £5,000 to £7,500.
In the weeks following the uplift, applications increased to 1,172 per week and this February were 75% higher than February 2023.
There have been various other developments which could have a positive impact on heat pump uptake.
Heat pump installer numbers
The Heat Pump Association announced a 166% surge in the number of qualified heat pump installers, from just under 3,000 in 2022 to close to 8,000 in 2023.
Changes to Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Government announced changes to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) which it says will make heat pumps ‘cheaper and easier for families to install’. Crucially, the changes have removed the mandatory requirement to install cavity wall or loft insulation in order to qualify for the grant. Biomass boilers with an integrated cooking function are now also eligible for support under the scheme.
Proposed MCS updates
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme has proposed a number of updates to its Heat Pump Design Standard which it expects will increase the number of heat pumps installed.
Speaking about the rise in applications to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, MCS CEO, Ian Rippin, said: “The latest Government figures show that applications to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme are up 75% on February 2023. This highlights that more people are looking to low carbon heating sources for their home.
“MCS data backs this – we’ve just seen the highest performing February for heat pumps in scheme history with 4,280 installations. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme remains a vital part of making home-grown energy more affordable and accessible and today’s figures highlights that people are continuing to take advantage of government grants to make that switch to greener and cleaner energy.”
What do you think? Are there other measures you would like to see implemented to improve heat pump uptake? Comments can be emailed to us at news@renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk.
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