UK Government to Install 600,000 Heat Pumps Annually by 2028 – What Is a Heat Pump? We've Got The Stats

In its push towards a much greener future, the UK government has committed to installing 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028. In October 2021, the UK government made the following announcement in the 'Heat and Buildings Strategy’: "A UK market with the capacity and capability to deploy at least 600,000 hydronic heat pump systems per year by 2028 can keep us on track to get to Net Zero and set us up for further growth if required."

According to the government’s Heat Pump Investment Roadmap of 2023, at the time of the ambitious announcement (2021), UK heat pump installations were only at 55,000 a year. So, this announcement seemed incredibly ambitious. Back in August 2024, Edie confirmed that the UK achieved a milestone of 250,000 certified heat pump installations, bringing it a lot closer towards the goal of installing 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028.

Below, heating expert Matthew Jenkins goes into what exactly a heat pump is and looks at all the stats surrounding the government’s ambitious goals in their journey towards a net-zero future.

Understanding Heat Pumps

If you're unfamiliar with heat pumps, you may wonder what exactly it is. There are several types of heat pumps. However, they all work on the same basis. They take low-grade energy generated by the sun, and they use refrigerant technology to increase this type of heat to a usable level.

Essentially, a heat pump uses the same technology as an air conditioner. Air conditioners cool your home using a refrigerant. The main difference between an air conditioner and a heat pump is that a heat pump includes a reversing valve that allows it to heat your home. When in heating mode, a heat pump works just like an air conditioner in reverse. Instead of keeping your home cool, it uses the refrigerant to heat your home.

Ground-source heat pumps use energy from the ground. They use a transfer fluid to absorb heat at low temperatures and pass this through a heat exchanger and into the heat pump. Air-source heat pumps use energy from the air or exhaust systems of buildings as their heat source.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how heat pumps work:

1. Heat can be sourced from the air outside or from the warmth in the ground. This is then blown or pumped over a heat exchange surface of the exterior part of the heat pump.
2. This heat is warm enough to cause the refrigerant liquid within the heat pump to evaporate and then turn into gas.
3. The gas is then moved through a compressor, which increases the pressure and causes the temperature to rise.
4. The heated gas is then passed over the internal heat exchange surface. The heat can then be either blown around the home’s interior or transferred into a hot water or central heating system.
5. As the heat is moved into the home, the gas falls in temperature, causing it to return to a liquid state.
6. This cycle repeats until your home reaches the required temperature setting on your thermostat.

The Significance of the 600,000 Target

The government's heat pump target of 600,000 annual installations by 2028 is linked with the UK's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Heating homes currently account for a significant portion of the UK's carbon emissions. According to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, in 2022, the residential sector emitted 56.4 Mtco2, accounting for 17% of all carbon dioxide emissions in the UK. Moving to low-carbon heating solutions like heat pumps is, therefore, very important for helping to reduce carbon emissions in the UK and meet these targets.

The current rate of heat pump installations is significantly less than the 2028 target. According to new data from the Heat Pump Association (HPA), 2024 saw a significant 63% increase in hydronic heat pump sales and a 15% increase in individuals completing recognised heat pump training qualifications.

Despite this, the market needs to experience some significant growth in a relatively short space of time. This will mean overcoming a range of barriers and scaling up the supply chain, installer base, and public demand.

Benefits of Heat Pumps

Choosing a heat pump over another type of heating system has several benefits. Below is a list of the main advantages of this type of system:

Low Running Costs

Heat pumps are cheaper to run than systems that rely on combustion for heat. These renewable heating systems are great long-term for saving money on your energy bills. Despite the high initial costs of these systems, they are very environmentally friendly and could help you save a lot of money on your energy bills. The UK’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme currently offers a grant of £7,500 towards the cost of installing a heat pump.

Easy to Maintain

Heat pumps don't require as much maintenance as combustion heating systems. You will need to have the system checked once each year. You can do this yourself simply to ensure that everything is working properly. A professional heat pump specialist will need to check the system once every 3-5 years.

Safe Systems

Heat pumps are much safer than combustion heating systems. They are safe to operate and rely on electricity, so they don't require burning fuel to create the heat. They come with fewer safety concerns when compared to their counterparts.

Reduced Carbon Emissions

Heat pumps reduce your carbon emissions and have an efficient conversion rate. By using electricity to move heat rather than burning fossil fuels, heat pumps significantly lower carbon emissions, especially when the electricity grid increasingly relies on renewable sources. According to the Energy Savings Trust, a semi-detached home with an old gas boiler would save around 2,900kg of CO2 emissions per year by switching to an air-source heat pump. They explain that this number is the equivalent of flying from Cardiff to Vancouver and back.

Provides Cooling

You can get your heat pump to reverse the process during the warmer months. This means that it can act as an air conditioning unit. Air-to-air heat pumps can easily be switched to the cooling mode during the summer months.

Long Lifespan

The lifespan of a heat pump is quite long and can last up to fifty years. However, the average lifespan is around 14-15 years. Despite this, they are very reliable and provide a steady source of heat.

Improved Air Quality

Unlike gas or oil boilers, heat pumps do not produce combustion byproducts, so this leads to improved indoor and outdoor air quality.

Increased Energy Efficiency

Heat pumps can deliver several units of heat for every unit of electricity consumed. This makes them much more efficient than direct electric heating or fossil fuel boilers, which typically operate at efficiencies below 100%.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite the many benefits of investing in a heat pump, there are also some challenges. Take a look at the list below:

Installation Costs

The upfront cost of buying and installing a heat pump can be very expensive, especially when compared to replacing a traditional boiler. While the Boiler Upgrade Scheme can help, the remaining cost of the installation can still be a barrier for some households.

Suitability for Different Property Types

Older, poorly insulated homes may require significant upgrades to ensure heat pumps operate efficiently and provide adequate heating. This can add to the overall cost and complexity of the installation.

Public Awareness and Acceptance

There is still a need to raise public awareness about the benefits of heat pumps and address misconceptions about their performance in colder climates. There are still many people in the UK who have no idea what a heat pump is or how it works. With the right knowledge, more people may be inclined to think about getting one installed at their home.

Number of Installers

Achieving 600,000 annual installations requires a significant increase in the number of trained heat pump installers. The industry needs to scale up training programmes to help meet this demand. Data from HPA shows a 15% increase in individuals completing recognised heat pump training qualifications in 2024. This needs to continue to increase to ensure there are enough people to install the number of heat pumps for the target.

Electricity Grid Infrastructure

A significant increase in heat pump usage will put a much greater demand on the electricity grid. Upgrades to the infrastructure may be necessary to ensure a reliable supply. This will involve making some significant improvements in this sector.

Steps Forward

In order to achieve the ambitious installation target, many things need to be done. Here is a list of the approaches that need to be taken in order for the government to achieve 600,000 heat pump installations per year by 2028:

Enhanced Financial Incentives

While the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which offers homeowners a £7,500 grant, is a very positive step, there needs to be further financial support or financing options may be needed in order to make heat pumps more accessible to a wider range of households.

Installer Training and Accreditation

Investing in training programmes to increase the number of qualified heat pump installers is extremely important for achieving the goal. Industry bodies and the government will need to collaborate to make this happen. Some colleges and technical schools are launching new low-carbon heating courses. However, there needs to be more training available and more advertisements for these types of courses so that prospective contractors show more interest in this type of work.

Public Awareness Campaigns

It is essential that the government and heat pump companies do some public awareness campaigns in order to educate consumers about the many benefits of heat pumps as well as address any misconceptions that people may have about them. This will help to build demand.

Streamlined Installation Processes

Streamlining the installation process and making it simpler will help to speed up the number of installations that can be completed.

Support for Updating Older Homes

There needs to be specific support and guidance in order to help homeowners in older, less energy-efficient homes make the necessary upgrades so that they can have a heat pump installed.

Future Homes Standard

The Future Homes Standard set out by the government is in place to ensure all new homes and non-domestic buildings use low-carbon heating and are zero-carbon ready, meaning no further work will be needed for them to have zero carbon emissions once the electricity grid has fully decarbonised. This effectively makes heat pumps the default technology for all new builds.

Achieving the UK government’s target of 600,000 annual heat pump installations by 2028 is a significant undertaking. There are several challenges that exist. However, the potential benefits of reducing carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency, and potentially lowering running costs are substantial. There needs to be a combined effort from various sources, including government support, industry innovation, and public engagement, in order to achieve this goal and lead the UK towards a greener future.