Heat Pumps news from 2022
56 stories, newest first
- December 2022
Electrification of Heat project releases latest insights on installation challenges and consumer barriers
The Electrification of Heat demonstration project has reported that 47 per cent of participants who declined a heat pump cited disruption, with installation averaging £14,800 per property.
Electrification of Heat project finds mass heat pump rollout feasible but innovation needed
Energy Systems Catapult has published findings from the Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project, which installed 742 heat pumps across Great Britain and identified disruption, space, technical and cost barriers to mass adoption.
Domestic water source heat pump system commissioned in Cirencester
A 13 kW Kensa Evo water source heat pump drawing heat from a Cotswold lake through three pond mat collectors was fitted and commissioned in a five-bedroom detached house in December 2022.
EHPA reports 59,862 UK heat pump sales in 2022
The European Heat Pump Association's survey data show 59,862 UK heat pump units were sold in 2022, a rise of 17,103 on 2021 and growth of 40 per cent.
Press release announces Value of Solar Heat findings
Solar Energy UK has published findings that pairing solar panels with a heat pump can cut a home's annual energy bills by up to £3,164, based on bill cap rates applied from October 2022.
Renewable Heat Incentive ended
The Renewable Heat Incentive closed in 2022 and was replaced by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which pays a one-off grant towards the upfront cost of a heat pump in England and Wales.
- November 2022
IEA released The Future of Heat Pumps
The International Energy Agency published The Future of Heat Pumps on 30 November 2022, its first comprehensive global outlook on the technology, linking the global energy crisis to a surge in sales.
Scottish Government responds to Heat Pump Sector Deal Expert Advisory Group Recommendation 4
The Scottish Government has set out how it will fund heat pump installation in Scotland, citing £1.8 billion for heat and energy efficiency and a £42 million standalone grant scheme.
Scottish Government response to Heat Pump Sector Deal Expert Advisory Group published
The Scottish Government has published its response to the Heat Pump Sector Deal Expert Advisory Group, setting out how it will address recommendations made in the group's December 2021 report.
ECIU analysis finds UK gas imports could have been cut by a fifth with Estonian heat pump deployment rates
Analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit finds that matching Estonia's heat pump installation rate would have cut UK domestic gas use by 34% and gas imports by 19% in 2021.
Scottish Government publishes Heat in Buildings Supply Chains Delivery Plan
The Scottish Government published its Heat in Buildings Supply Chains Delivery Plan in November 2022, setting out steps to grow the green heat sector and launching a £17.6 million innovation support programme.
- October 2022
Energy crisis narrows electricity to gas price ratio, strengthening heat pump running cost case
Nesta reports the electricity to gas price ratio has fallen from over 5 in 2021 to around 3.8, and to around 3.3 under the Energy Price Guarantee, improving heat pump running cost comparisons.
Nesta publishes analysis of heat pumps and the energy crisis
Nesta analysis published on 25 October 2022 estimates that replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump cuts gas use by more than 70% and wholesale gas costs by over £1,100 a year.
Heat Pump Ready Programme: Stream 1, Phase 2 page first published
The government published guidance for the second phase of its Heat Pump Ready Programme competition, restricted to projects already contracted under phase one, with applications closing on 7 November 2022.
Samsung launches EHS Mono HT Quiet heat pump in the UK
Samsung announced the UK launch of the EHS Mono HT Quiet, a high temperature, low noise air source heat pump, on 11 October 2022, with UK availability from the start of November in 8, 12 and 14kW capacities.
Nesta analysis finds energy crisis has narrowed the whole life cost gap between heat pumps and gas boilers
Nesta analysis published in October 2022 found the energy crisis moved heat pumps £100 to £250 a year closer to gas boilers on whole life cost, with combined policies making them cheaper still.
Octopus Energy and Halifax announce heat pump pilot scheme
Octopus Energy and Halifax have announced a pilot scheme offering Halifax mortgage customers air source heat pumps for as little as £2,000 fully installed, according to analysis published by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.
- September 2022
Rinnai UK announces availability of Naked Energy VirtuHOT products
Rinnai UK has added Naked Energy's VirtuHOT solar thermal and PVT range to its continuous flow hybrid hot water systems, claiming up to 3.5 times the carbon savings of conventional solar panels.
Nesta launches live heat pump show home service at visitaheatpump.com
Nesta has launched a live booking service at visitaheatpump.com to test how people interested in heat pumps move from signing up to visiting a working system in London and Glasgow.
- August 2022
Nesta moves from discovery to live pilot for heat pump show home service
Nesta has moved its heat pump show home work from discovery to a live pilot, planning a small-scale launch in September to let people see a working heat pump in real life.
Sutton exhaust-air heat pump commissioning under way after poor trial performance
One Sutton home's exhaust-air heat pump has been fully commissioned after the trial found the standard control software was not activating it, with the fix being rolled out to the other five homes.
- July 2022
Nesta report warns of heat pump installer shortage
Nesta's report finds only 3,000 trained heat pump engineers in the UK against a need for at least 27,000 within six years, warning that installer shortages could hold back net zero targets.
ECIU analysis finds electric households saving £1,180 a year over fossil fuel households
Analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit finds households with heat pumps and electric cars saved an average £1,180 a year by avoiding gas and petrol, with the gap set to widen.
Essex tower block ground source heat pump retrofit begins
Thurrock Council and Kensa began work in July 2022 on a networked ground source heat pump retrofit across 273 flats in three Essex tower blocks, replacing night storage heaters.
- June 2022
Nesta and BIT publish UK-wide heat pump demand trial results
A UK-wide trial of 8,016 homeowners by Nesta and the Behavioural Insights Team found interest-free loans and lower running costs each raise stated heat pump choice, and together lift it to 36%.
Vaillant heat pump retrofit at Rivermead House cuts tenant bills
Derby Homes fitted 54 off-gas-grid flats at Rivermead House with individual Vaillant aroTHERM 5kW air source heat pumps at £6,000 per flat, cutting typical household energy costs from about £1,250 to £730 a year.
Thermino 180 and Thermino 250 models planned for first half of 2022
Sunamp said two additional sizes in its fourth generation Thermino heat battery range, the 180 and 250, would be introduced in the first half of 2022, following the range's launch in November 2021.
- May 2022
Boiler Upgrade Scheme opens for grant applications
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme opened for grant applications on 23 May 2022, offering £5,000 or £6,000 towards heat pumps and, in limited cases, biomass boilers in England and Wales.
Heat Pump Association welcomes launch of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Heat Pump Association has welcomed the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which opened with grants of £5,000 for air source and £6,000 for ground source heat pumps in England and Wales.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme launched with £450m budget
The government launched the £450m Boiler Upgrade Scheme in May 2022, offering grants of up to £6,000 towards heat pumps and, in limited circumstances, biomass boilers in England and Wales.
Nesta decides not to pursue group purchasing for heat pumps
Nesta has decided not to run its own group buying scheme for heat pumps, saying the model has real potential but that the 2022 market is not ready.
- April 2022
Panasonic adds three-phase option to Aquarea T-CAP Mono-bloc J Generation R32 heat pumps
Panasonic has added a three-phase power supply option to its Aquarea T-CAP Mono-bloc J Generation R32 heat pumps, covering heating and cooling capacities between 9 and 16kW.
Panasonic launches Aquarea Hybrid Eco+ Heat Pump
Panasonic has launched the Aquarea Hybrid Eco+ heat pump, a unit that works alongside an existing fossil fuelled boiler and which the company says can cut carbon emissions by up to 80%.
UK Government consulted on clean heating market mandate earlier in 2022
The UK Government consulted earlier in 2022 on a policy to obligate boiler manufacturers to match fossil fuel boiler sales with heat pump installations, Nesta reported on 20 April 2022.
Nesta and BIT publish report assessing the UK Government's boiler manufacturer mandate for heat pumps
Nesta and the Behavioural Insights Team have published a report assessing the UK Government's proposed mandate requiring boiler manufacturers to match fossil fuel boiler sales with heat pump installations.
Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition announced for 2022
The government has announced a Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition worth up to £30 million in 2022 to expand British heat pump manufacturing, as part of its Energy Security Strategy.
Four energy efficiency policy elements announced alongside the strategy
Four home energy efficiency measures accompanied the Energy Security Strategy, including an advice service by summer, energy performance standards detail in May, £10m for green finance and a £30m heat pump competition.
Heat pumps become cheaper to run than gas boilers
Analysis published by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit finds that from April 2022 an electric heat pump will cost less to run than a gas boiler, as gas prices drive the price cap up.
MIS 3005 standards due to come into force
The MCS heat pump standard MIS 3005 splits into separate design and installation standards on 1 April 2022, the same day the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive closes.
The split heat pump Standards became mandatory
The MCS heat pump Standard MIS 3005 split into separate design and installation Standards on 1 April 2022, making both mandatory for certified contractors in the UK.
WHD splits into separate England & Wales and Scotland schemes for SY12
The Warm Home Discount split into separate England and Wales and Scotland schemes for 2022-23, with a new Core Group 2 in England and Wales and the rebate rising from £140 to £150.
Zero rate for air source heat pumps begins in GB with eligibility conditions removed
Air source heat pumps became zero rated for VAT in Great Britain on 1 April 2022, with the eligibility conditions that previously restricted the relief removed permanently.
- March 2022
Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers systems commissioned on or after 1 April 2022
Ofgem has confirmed that heat pumps and biomass systems commissioned on or after 1 April 2022 qualify for Boiler Upgrade Scheme support, with installer accounts opening on 11 April and applications from 23 May.
British Gas completes first air source heat pump installation in Devon
British Gas has completed its first air source heat pump installation for a household customer, at a home in Ivybridge, Devon, fitted through its partnership with Daikin.
geo and Vaillant white paper warns lack of appliance interoperability could cost billions in energy savings
A white paper from geo and Vaillant warns that without common standards for heat pumps, EV chargers and appliances, households could lose billions in energy savings by 2050.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme launched
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme opened in March 2022, offering upfront grants towards heat pumps and some biomass boilers in England and Wales, administered by Ofgem and running to 2028.
Nesta report says heat pumps could soon be cheaper than gas boilers over 15-year lifetime
Nesta analysis of 60,000 UK heat pump installations finds that, with three policy and market changes plus a £5,000 grant, heat pumps could cost £60 to £110 a year less than gas boilers over a 15-year life.
Sutton control software fault identified and temporary fix applied
Monitoring of an Energiesprong retrofit in Sutton found the standard control software was not activating the heat pump, and a temporary control algorithm was applied to the affected homes.
- February 2022
Draft regulations laid before the House
The draft Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales) Regulations 2022 were laid before Parliament on 25 February 2022, setting up capital grants for heat pumps and, in limited cases, biomass boilers.
Rinnai announces H3 range of hydrogen blend ready, hybrid and heat pump products
Rinnai UK has announced an H3 product range covering commercial heat pumps, hydrogen blend ready and hybrid hot water systems, to be introduced in stages during 2022.
Mitsubishi Electric launches Ecodan Hydrodan water-to-water heat pump for ambient loops
Mitsubishi Electric has added the Ecodan Hydrodan, a water-to-water heat pump designed for Fifth Generation ambient loops, to its heat pump range in an announcement dated 7 February 2022.
BUS scheme length extended to three years
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme will run for three years to 2024/25 rather than the two years proposed for the Clean Heat Grant, with grants of £5,000 or £6,000 and a £450m budget.
Final impact assessment confirms higher BUS grant levels
The final impact assessment for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme confirms grants of £5,000 for air source heat pumps, £6,000 for ground source heat pumps and £5,000 for biomass, replacing an earlier flat £4,000 proposal.
- January 2022
Consultation on Ofgem's administration of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme closes
Ofgem's consultation on how it will run the Boiler Upgrade Scheme closed on 27 January 2022, with a decision published and the scheme due to launch in Spring 2022.
MCS announces changes to the Heat Pump Standard
MCS has split its Heat Pump Standard into separate design and installation standards, mandatory from 1 April 2022, the day after the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive closes.
Renewable Heat Incentive ended, replaced by Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive closed at the end of March 2022 and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme took its place, offering upfront grants of £5,000 or £6,000 towards heat pumps in England and Wales.