But for the majority of those heat pumps to be installed, there’s a gas boiler that first has to be decommissioned.
As we understand it, this job can only be done by a Gas Safe engineer, and to be Gas Safe registered, you understandably have to go through lots of training, including evidencing a portfolio of boiler installations.
As the UK pushes towards cleaner energy and away from fossil fuels, it’s reasonable to predict that more young people will choose green rather than gas when they’re facing that particular fork in the career path.
And as the existing gas trained workforce dwindles through retirement, fears have been raised of a big problem looming just beyond the horizon. Namely that the number of boilers needing to be decommissioned will increase while the number of people trained to do that work will decrease.
We spoke to one company which says it is already struggling with this issue. Renewable energy supplier, Good Energy, has offered heat pump installations since acquiring Igloo Works in December 2022.
More gas trained engineers needed to facilitate growth
Good Energy’s heating engineers are trained in all aspects of renewable energy installations. But the company is facing a number of challenges when it comes to the gas side – which is required only for the decommissioning of boilers so that heat pumps can be installed.
The business currently has two Gas Safe engineers who are busy decommissioning boilers up and down the country. More are needed to help facilitate growth in the company.
Good Energy Operations Director for heat pump installations, Max Waddingham, explained: “We are currently recruiting for engineers with Gas Safe qualifications, but it’s really difficult to find people who want to make the switch into renewables. We could in theory hire a Gas Safe qualified person who would just drive around decommissioning, but we like our installers to be able to do the whole job.
“It also raises issues for the future. We like to promote and train from within. Many of our heating engineers went straight into renewables and have level 2 or 3 plumbing and heating, a level 3 in renewable tech, training in air source heat pumps, they may have G3 unvented hot water cylinder and so on. We can put people through any of that training, that’s not an issue.
“But to do their Gas Safe, they have to do the CCN1 qualification. Which is not only intensive – we’d be looking at losing the resource for one day a week for at least six months – they then have to build the portfolio, demonstrating gas installations, and we just can’t offer that.
“Yet the only element we need them to be able to do is capping a gas pipe and testing or removing a gas meter.
“We’d like to see the introduction of a shorter qualification that doesn’t rely on having to install gas boilers so we can train renewable installers who can safely manage all aspects of a project.”
‘Issue is counterproductive to growing clean heat workforce’
It’s an issue that is rising up the agenda as more organisations become aware of it, including Electrify Heat – a cross-industry coalition of relevant parties working together to champion the electrification of heat.
Electrify Heat’s secretariat co-ordinator, Leo Vincent, said: “We are seeing new entrants/trainees at a fork in the road when deciding which training path to follow – having to choose between a renewables led route or an alternative that offers Gas Safe qualification opportunities.
“This is counterproductive to growing the clean heat workforce of the future and threatens to hold back the UK’s heat decarbonisation goals, making it harder to remove gas boilers and replace with heat pumps.
“It is imperative that newer entrants have access to training and qualification opportunities that focus on how to replace and remove gas boilers, rather than just learning to install them.”
Heat Pump Federation to raise concerns with government
We also spoke to Bean Beanland, Director for Growth & External Affairs at the Heat Pump Federation, who said he will now raise these concerns as part of a summary of issues he’s putting together for the new Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Energy Consumers), Miatta Fahnbulleh.
“It is a challenge,” Bean told Renewable Energy Installer magazine. “It’s been raised with the ministry on a number of occasions and sits in parallel with the issue of removing the gas supply.
“They are separate but related issues which both come with challenges for the transition, and which I don’t think have been properly considered. There needs to be some clarity of thought because otherwise consumers and heat pump installers will be at the mercy of gas suppliers.
“As we increase the level of installations, this will become a problem of increasing scale and it’s time to start doing something about it. There should be a training course that is just for decommissioning.”
However, not everyone agrees on the scale of this issue. Either because it’s seen as a future problem, or not a problem at all.
‘More suitable framework needed’ – AIRA
The CEO of Aira UK, Daniel Särefjord, told us: “At Aira, our Clean Energy Technicians are able to safely remove old gas boilers and replace them with intelligent and efficient heat pumps, as they are all Gas Safe registered.
“That said, if we’re going to accelerate the electrification of residential heating at scale to reach our net zero targets, we need to create a more suitable framework for the green skills workforce to flourish and grow. It would be beneficial to the renewables industry if heat pump engineers could attain the gas boiler decommissioning qualification without having to take on the full course, especially given the majority of heat pump installations over the coming decade will be a gas boiler replacement.”
‘Experts in different trades exist for a reason’ – Heat Geek
Founder of Heat Geek, Adam Chapman, has a different view altogether. The online learning platform provides training courses, tools and technologies to help gas engineers to successfully transition to heat pump work. It has helped 2,000 gas engineers to make this switch in the last three years.
“This is not something I think will ever be an issue to be honest,” Adam said. “You just call a Gas Safe contractor to cap the pipe off and tightness test the gas carcass. There are definitely enough engineers to do that. Nearly all of our heat pump installers are gas engineers moving over, so not a problem, and they often do this quick job for other installers.
“However, I still think we should have experts in their relevant fields. We have experts in different trades for a reason. Heating engineers already have to understand hydronic theory, plumbing, building regulations, some carpentry and basic electrics. Expecting gas, fridge and more serious electrical work as well is too much and will lead to things not being done well.
“Especially if you come across a problem with the electrics or gas, you don’t have the experience to fix it. Also there’s so much to do in an install you kind of need the help in the different areas.”
We approached Gas Safe but the organisation declined to comment on the issue.
- What do you think? Do you agree this is a problem now, or for the future? Please write to linda@renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk with your views.
Image credit: An installation by Good Energy.