Report predicts demand for heat pump installers to grow tenfold by 2030 in order to meet targets
Company owners have cited ‘little customer demand’ as their primary obstacle to replacing gas boilers with heat pumps.
The heat pump industry requires a tenfold increase in installers to meet net zero targets, as per a report.
On Tuesday, the innovation charity Nesta released a survey highlighting significant staff shortages as a key cause of delays in heat pump installations.
The report stated that by 2030, 37,000 heat pump installers will be needed, compared to the current 3,000.
Heat pumps, which operate on electricity, function like a refrigerator in reverse to extract energy from the air or ground.
The Heat Pump Association (HPA) estimates a requirement of around 50,000 installers by 2030, with Nesta’s previous research suggesting a slightly lower figure of 37,000.
However, the current workforce stands at just 3,000.
Replace Gas Boilers
According to survey findings in collaboration with a heat pump firm and trainer, 41% of company owners identified ‘little customer demand’ as the biggest impediment to replacing gas boilers with heat pumps.
Forty-five percent of survey participants expressed that customers often do not proceed with a heat pump installation after receiving a quote due to high costs.
Additionally, over a third of engineers have turned down work believing that a heat pump would not adequately heat a customer’s home.
Legally Binding Net-Zero Targets
The government suggests that a heat pump can reduce carbon emissions by up to 70% compared to a gas boiler.
To meet its legally binding net-zero targets, the government aims to phase out the installation of new and replacement natural gas boilers by 2035 at the latest.
An interim target is set for installing 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028, whereas only 55,000 were installed in 2022.
Oliver Zanetti, mission manager of sustainable future at Nesta, emphasized the importance of policymakers understanding and supporting the industry to achieve net zero goals.
Affluent Groups
In May, a prominent committee raised concerns that most households benefiting from heat pump subsidies are from affluent groups.
The House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts highlighted that government net zero home grants are predominantly utilized by wealthier individuals.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides £7,500 grants to encourage property owners to transition from fossil fuel heating to heat pumps, which extract energy from the air or ground.
On average, a heat pump is four times costlier than a gas boiler, and the higher electricity prices can make heat pumps more expensive to operate.
