The European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) recorded 59,862 heat pump units sold in the UK in 2022, an increase of 17,103 on 2021, representing growth of 40 per cent1. The figure appears in an Environment Agency review of ground source heating and cooling, published in September 2024, which draws on EHPA data among several sources used to estimate the size of the UK market1.
The same report notes that there is no single register of installed ground source heating and cooling systems in England, and that its figures are built from sources using different metrics. Some count sales of heat pump units, some count systems, and some count household installations under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme1. The report states that these sources do not typically record failed or decommissioned systems or replacement heat pumps, so installation figures should be regarded as best estimates1. It also notes that many figures apply to the UK as a whole, and recommends a multiplier of 78 to 80 per cent to convert UK figures to England figures1.
The report places the sales figure in the context of government targets to increase heat pump installations from 55,000 a year to 600,000 a year by 20281. It describes the ground source market as highly dependent on policy, and says the figures carry a high degree of uncertainty1. Ground source systems are described as comprising 9 per cent of the current UK heat pump market in England1.
On the policy background, the report records that the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive closed to new applicants on 31st March 2022, and the non-domestic scheme closed on 31st March 20211. It states that grants for heat pumps increased in October 2023 following a consultation and review by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and refers to a Boiler Upgrade Scheme uplift in summer 20231. It also notes planned implementation of the Future Homes Standard in 2025, which it says effectively bans the installation of gas boilers in new homes1.
"59,862 heat pump units were sold in the UK in 2022, an increase of 17,103 on 2021, representing a growth of 40%"
The report also gives geographical figures from other datasets. Among MCS records it lists Salford (353), Glasgow City (274), Calderdale (241) and Sunderland (234)1. Among Renewable Heat Incentive data it lists Blackburn with Darwen (215), Cornwall (173), Leeds (169) and Glasgow City (166), and gives Highland (4,751) and Argyll & Bute (2,764)1. By density it cites Ceredigion, Mid Wales (0.39 per cent) and Cotswold and Orkney (0.34 per cent each)1.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| UK heat pump units sold, 2022 | 59,862 |
| Increase on 2021 | 17,103 |
| Growth on 2021 | 40 per cent |
| Ground source share of England heat pump market | 9 per cent |
| Government target for heat pump installations by 2028 | 600,000 a year |
Why it matters for households
The sales figure is a measure of the wider heat pump market rather than of ground source systems alone, and the report does not give a separate 2022 sales total for ground source units. For a household considering a ground source system, the practical points in the report concern how installations are counted and how policy shapes the market. The absence of a single register means no published total exists for systems installed in England, and the report's own figures are described as best estimates1. The report also notes that the datasets do not record decommissioned systems or replacement heat pumps, so the installed base and the annual sales number are not the same thing1.
Policy is the stated driver of the market. The closure of the Renewable Heat Incentive to new applicants in March 2022 and the later increase in grants under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme are both recorded as market-shaping events1. For a home's energy independence, the relevant question is how much of a system's cost is covered by a grant at the time of installation, and that has changed more than once in the period covered. The report does not state how many of the 59,862 units sold in 2022 were ground source, and no breakdown by technology has been reported.
What happens next
The report identifies several policy developments to watch: implementation of the Future Homes Standard in 2025, amendment of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme or another subsidy framework, the place of hydrogen in the future UK energy economy, and decoupling of electricity price from gas price1. It states that UK government Net Zero policies were evolving rapidly at the time of writing and that policy details should be checked at the time of reading1. No further sales figures beyond 2022 are given in the report.
Sources1 cited
- Ground source heating and cooling: status, policy, and market review, assets.publishing.service.gov.uk