Energy Systems Catapult, described in its announcement as the Net Zero innovation centre, launched a consumer guide on 12 January 2023 titled "Heat pump talk, effective conversations between customers and installers throughout the heat pump installation journey"1. The organisation said the guide was produced "to help homeowners make an informed decision regarding the switch to a heat pump"1.
The guide sets out four stages of the installation journey: the enquiry stage, survey and design, installation, and the post-installation stage1. At each stage it lists the kinds of questions a householder could put to an installer, covering initial costs, what funding is available to support the transition, and the likely impact of the installation on the home1. At the survey and design stage it suggests telling the installer about typical hot water usage, the temperature the home is warmed to, and any planned renovations, which the Catapult says will affect the type and size of heat pump specified1.
The Catapult cites installation figures and survey data to explain the guide's purpose. Heat pump installations in the UK almost tripled to an estimated 42,779 in 2021, up almost 16,000 from 20201. Against that, government surveys show only 4% of the public feel they know a lot about heat pumps, and 77% of consumers had little or no awareness at all1.
Guy Newey, chief executive officer at Energy Systems Catapult, said:
"As someone who has recently installed an air source heat pump in my own home, I know just how many questions a customer might have about the transition to a heat pump. Even after my years of working in the energy sector, I still had questions."
The guide was produced as part of the Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project, which is funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and seeks to better understand the feasibility of a large-scale rollout of heat pumps in homes across the UK1. The Catapult said it spoke to many participants during the project about their experience of the installation process, and learned from this how customers can interact most effectively with installers at different stages1.
Why it matters for households
For a household weighing up a heat pump, the guide addresses the information gap the Catapult's own figures describe: most of the public report little or no knowledge of the technology, while installations are rising1. The questions it sets out concern the practical terms of a switch, including upfront cost, available funding and disruption to the home, and the information an installer needs to size a system correctly, such as hot water use, heating temperature and planned building work1. Those are the inputs that determine what a system costs to run and how well it performs in a particular property, which is central to how independently a home can meet its heating and hot water needs. The guide does not itself set out running costs, grant amounts or performance figures; those are not reported in the announcement1.
What happens next
No further steps, publication dates or updates are set out in the announcement1. The guide is available from Energy Systems Catapult, which asks those downloading it to provide some details about themselves, or to email for a digital copy1.