Heat pump installations in the UK have already exceeded last year’s total, setting a new milestone for the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) with three months still to go in 2024. By the end of September, 42,000 installations were completed—outpacing 2023's total by approximately 4%.
The UK government is launching the Warm Homes Grant in 2025, an exciting initiative aimed at helping homeowners make their properties more energy-efficient. This fully funded scheme is available to those who meet certain criteria and could significantly reduce your energy costs while lowering your home's carbon footprint.
This week, the UK's last coal power station closed, signalling that the country’s energy landscape is undergoing a massive transformation. For over 200 years, coal was king, powering industry and homes alike. But today, renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydro are rapidly replacing fossil fuels in the national grid. With that change comes a new challenge—and opportunity—for those of us in the heating and plumbing industry.
With the UK election out the way and a new government in place, we feel it’s important to explore the potential implications for the heat pump market now that Labour has taken the helm. For plumbers, particularly those considering diversifying into heat pump installations, Labour's anticipated measures could present significant opportunities in the evolving green energy sector.
The UK remains overly dependent on natural gas, according to the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), which provides independent recommendations to the government.
In its recent annual assessment, the NIC highlights the urgent need to reduce reliance on high-cost, high-carbon natural gas and accelerate the adoption of heat pump technology to meet the ambitious net zero targets by 2050. According to the Commission, decarbonising buildings is a critical aspect of this transition and represents the single biggest challenge on the path to net zero.
As of 5pm Wednesday 31st March, the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme is closed to new applications, thus bringing to an end the Government’s troubled energy efficiency scheme. On face value this might seem like a blow, however for heat pumps the Green Homes Grant never represented additional funding. The existing funding scheme for heat pumps - the Renewable Heat Incentive - has still got another year to run, and continues to encourage uptake of heat pumps throughout the UK.
Green policies are a priority of the UK Government, and 2020 saw a number of huge policies which are going to have a significant impact driving the UK heat pump market. From the extension of the Renewable Heat Incentive (“RHI”), to the introduction of the new Green Homes Grant, and the reconfirmation that low carbon heating will be deployed in all new properties within just a few years.
As of today 30th September 2020 the Green Homes Grant Scheme is now LIVE! You can get £5,000 - or in some instances £10,000 if you’re on certain benefits - off the cost of installing an energy efficient air source heat pump or ground source heat pump. Alto Energy is MCS accredited and Trustmark approved, meaning that we are an approved installer under the scheme.
Read more to find out what you need to do…
