Baxi’s research has found that nearly a third of UK heat engineers are prepared to adopt heat pump installation in the near future, whereas another third say they are extremely unlikely to embrace the new technology
The conversation over whether or not to begin heat pump installation has almost evenly divided heat installers, Baxi has found in a new report. Assessing what would encourage installers to take the leap, the report found that of 130,000 of the UK’s heating engineers, roughly 37,000 were prepared to embrace the technology.
Only 2,000 more installers said they were extremely unlikely to begin installation.
Government targets on heat pump installation are ten times the current market presence
The government is targeting 600,000 heat pump installations every year by 2028. That is ten times the current market and represents a transformation from early adoption to a mass-market proposition. It would require extensive efforts from low-carbon heating installers in assisting and encouraging homeowners to make the change.
Training costs and paperwork are a significant obstacle to widespread adoption
Baxi’s report “Heating Installers: Taking the Leap to a Low Carbon Future” found that installers had serious concerns over training costs, market demand and extensive paperwork involved with heat pump installation.
- On training costs – 39% said they would be more likely to install heat pumps if they received help with training costs. They currently pay the full cost of training and forgo work in order to receive heat pump training
- On customer demand – 56% of installers said customer demand needed to be addressed and 38% of installers are concerned about lack of government support for the market. The current Boiler Upgrade Scheme which pays a max £5,000 grant to support air source heat pump installations ends in 2025.
- On paperwork – 44% wanted support to reduce the burden of paperwork, for example in applying for government assistance schemes
Karen Boswell, managing director of Baxi UK & Ireland, said: “Installers will play an important role as we decarbonise the nation’s heating and it will be vital that the government and industry support them with the right information, incentives and training.
“They will need to be advocates for low carbon sources of heat and recommend to the nation’s homeowners that they should make the leap to a heat pump. To achieve this, we will need to address their concerns, support them with training, and explain more clearly the financial and non-financial benefits of these appliances.”
Baxi recommends spelling out stronger government initiatives that will drive demand for heat pumps over the coming decade; support for training costs on a first come-first served basis; and an industry wide campaign to market the role of a low carbon heating installer to attract new entrants.
