The government has introduced a £5 million Heat Pump Training Grant, aiming to retrain and upskill 10,000 engineers, the Heat Pump Association (HPA) said on 18 July 20231. The association, which represents the heat pump industry, set out the grant in a commentary by its chief executive, Charlotte Lee, on the state of the market1.
"the Government has introduced a £5 million Heat Pump Training Grant, aiming to retrain and upskill 10,000 engineers"
The HPA said the grant responds to a shortage of qualified installers. It cited a Climate Change Committee report which found the current number of qualified installers in the UK is insufficient to meet demand, with most of the small cohort already oversubscribed1. The association also pointed to the imminent launch of the Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship as a further route into the trade1.
Alongside the training grant, the HPA reported other government support and market movement1:
| Measure | Detail reported |
|---|---|
| Heat Pump Training Grant | £5 million, to retrain and upskill 10,000 engineers |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme applications | 16% rise in May compared with April |
| Installations under ECO, Home Upgrade Grant and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund | 2,242 in April across the schemes |
| Heat pump sales, first half of 2023 | Projected growth of around 10% on 2022 figures |
| Deployment target | 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028 |
The association also cited the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition, which it said focuses on innovation, research and development and on diversifying the UK supply chain and domestic manufacturing capacity1. On the evidence for the technology, it cited Nesta research indicating just over half (55%) of households requiring fabric efficiency upgrades, and the government-commissioned Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project, which received interest from nearly 9,000 households1. The HPA said heat pumps range from smaller 3kW units to larger 80kW units, with reduced noise levels, refrigerants with lower global warming potential and simplified controls1.
Why it matters for households
The number of trained installers shapes how quickly a household can get a heat pump fitted, and how much choice there is over who does the work. The HPA's own assessment is that qualified installers are oversubscribed, which points to waiting times and limited competition in some areas1. A grant that funds training for 10,000 engineers is aimed at that constraint rather than at the cost of the equipment itself, so it does not change what a household pays for a unit or an installation. Households weighing up a heat pump can look at the grants and funding available across the UK, while the wider policy and targets set the direction for the market. The HPA's figures on applications and installations indicate demand is rising, which matters for how soon any grant funding is taken up.
What happens next
The HPA said the 600,000 heat pumps a year target for 2028 can be met by implementing the Future Homes and Buildings Standards in 2025, setting clear dates to end the sale of new 100% fossil fuel boilers, reducing electricity prices and improving installer training and standards across the heating industry1. It said political will and cross-party consensus are needed to give policy certainty to installers, manufacturers and homeowners1. No start date, eligibility rules or application process for the £5 million Heat Pump Training Grant have been reported1.