Joe Sharpe, Head of Content at Installer, looks at the buzz surrounding heat pump technology as the market prepares to accelerate:
2022 is going to be a big year for heat pump technology in the UK, as the government and industry set the pathway to 600,000 installs a year by 2030.
April saw the launch of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). The £450 million initiative is now live, offering upfront capital grants to install heat pumps.
The pot allows for a £5,000 voucher for an ASHP install, or a £6,000 voucher for a GSHP install, which installers can redeem when the install has finished, and when appropriate checks have been made.
Unlike the failed Green Homes Grant Scheme, it is the installers that can claim the vouchers, rather than the homeowner.
There’s a lot of hope for the scheme which could allow 90,000 homes from across England and Wales to take advantage of the funding.
I’ve spoken to installers who are the early adopters and are already helping their customers take advantage of the BUS. However, there are some who are concerned with the time it may take for the installer to claim the money from the voucher. The initial materials and labour will still have to be done, with some worried that it suits larger companies with bigger pots of money to dip into, rather than SMEs and sole traders..
It does, however, put heat pumps right at the front of the net zero conversation. Homeowners will be interested in receiving the grant money, and installers will be able to offer a new or more attractive proposition to their customers.
We’ve seen this appetite reflected on our website, with trends for content around the BUS, heat pump products, and technical articles looking at how to get the most from heat pump systems.
Our recent webinars from our #NetZeroFESTIVAL related to heat pumps and the BUS have also seen a drastic rise in on-demand views.
It remains to be seen whether the BUS will be a success, and 90,000 installs is still a drop in the ocean compared to the 1.7million boilers that are installed in the UK every year. But it does show that the government is putting its money where its mouth is, that there’s interest from engineers and the public, and that the technology is ready for a mass rollout.
It feels like the start of the rise of heat pumps that we’ve been waiting for. There’s only one way this technology is going, and it’s up.
Installer Parseley Trends for April 2022
