More than 4,500 certified heat pump installations were registered in the UK by July 2024, with battery storage installations performing significantly better than previous years. Subsidy schemes that reduce the costs of installing a heat pump are an important growth driver according to the sector.
Heat pump installations continue to break records in Great Britain, according to the latest figures from certification body MCS.
July 2024 was the fifth month in a row with more than 4,500 certified heat pump installations and the third highest month ever measured. It continues the trend toward a record year for annual installations. In total, there have now been more than 250,000 certified heat pump installations in Britain since registration began.
Charlotte Lee, CEO of the Heat Pump Association, said pv magazine that the UK government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) have played a “major role” in driving the growth of heat pump installations by 2024. Consumers will have access to capital grants to support the installation of heat pumps and biomass boilers via BUS, while the ECO program obliges energy suppliers to support measures that reduce heating costs in low-income households, such as installing or upgrading a heating system.
BUS-supported heat pump installations grew 36% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024 and ECO-supported installations rose 141%, the trade association said. According to data from MCS, an average air source heat pump installation cost GBP 12,700 ($16,800) in July 2024. However, the boiler upgrade program will cover £7,500 of the cost of installing an air source heat pump.
“The first six months of 2024 have shown real growth for the UK heat pump market and are fantastic news for the sector, with our sales data showing a 40% increase in heat pump sales in the first six months of 2024 compared to the same period. last year,” Lee said.
To support the further deployment of heat pumps, Lee said the government should “address the high ratio of electricity to gas prices to ensure that the electricity price is reduced, making the heat with the lowest carbon emissions the cheapest heat.”
“Other factors enabling the growth of heat pumps include the implementation of the Future Homes and Building Standard and the rapid introduction of proposed changes to current permitted development rights,” Lee said.
The Heat Pump Association CEO added that continuing supportive policies such as BUS and ECO are “critical to provide greater clarity and confidence to the sector, especially installers, consumers and investors.”
The latest MCS figures also show that battery storage installations continue to show strong growth year-on-year. MCS has now registered more than 15,000 certified battery storage installations, with more than 10,000 expected in 2024 alone.
Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, said that as batteries are often combined with solar installations, “the extraordinary increase in the number of certified battery storage installations shows that more UK homeowners are switching to the benefits of renewable energy.”
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