The National Federation of Builders (NFB) has released a statement following the seventh carbon budget calling for a change in direction regarding heat pumps
The NFB has stated that in order to reach the 2050 carbon targets, heat pump installations in existing residential properties needs to increase to 450,000 by 2030, and 1.5m by 2035.
In 2023, the number of heat pump installations sat at 60,000.
UK heat pumps don’t always provide for water as well
The current most popular type of heat pump is the air source heat pump (ASHP). But only one type of ASHP that heats water for radiators or underfloor heating has also been supported by taxpayer funding, building regulations, and manufacturer penalties for low sales.
Other types of heat pump, such as air-to-air, use hot or cool air to maintain heat within homes, and can be affordable but need a separate way to heat water.
The NFB maintain that throughout Europe this has not been an issue, as the EU market has seen air-to-air heat pumps make up 80% of the newly installed market, while air-to-water made only 17%.
Water can be heated with solutions such as thermal batteries, or immersion heaters, and many manufacturers are currently working on innovations to allow air-to-air to heat water in a similar manner to a hydronic system.
The seventh carbon budget has laid out plans to increase heat pump installation over the next few years while keeping to the natural replacement cycle of current heating systems, meaning that gas systems only need to be replaced by UK heat pumps when they will need replacing anyway.
The carbon budget says that sticking to the target of 1.5m by 2035 will contribute significantly to a completely decarbonised housing stock by 2050.
“We know what has to be done”
Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “Ramping up heat pump installations is going to be difficult, but we know what has to be done. The Government must redouble its efforts to ensure the grid can facilitate installs and that all varieties of heat pump technology now receive support across all government funding and policies.”
Rico Wojtulewicz, head of policy and market insight at the NFB, said: “The UK has a blind spot to air-to-air heat pumps. Although civil servants have recently published an excellent report on their benefits, they remain poorly supported in practice. Overheating regulations, which oppose mechanical cooling, even hinder the technology from meeting Building Regulations on heating, cooling, and air quality.
“Given that we have twenty-five times more installers for air-to-air heat pumps than air-to-water, and considering that air-to-air technology is more cost-effective, efficient, and quicker to install, the Government must rethink the approach taken by the previous administration. Increasing electrification means more innovation and naturally assists other policy considerations, such as shifting levies from electric to gas, much easier to implement.”
