EDF announced on 13 November 2023 that it has fully acquired CB Heating, one of the UK's leading air source heat pump installers, building on a strategic investment it made in the company in 20221. EDF described itself in the announcement as Britain's biggest generator of zero carbon electricity1.
The company said the acquisition will improve the end-to-end customer journey from selection to installation, and that it is working to halve the customer journey time, which it said currently takes three to four months1. It also said the deal will see a dedicated team put in place to deliver heat pump solutions across a wide range of homes, forming part of a wider range of zero carbon home products for local authorities and developers1.
"Having acquired stand-out installer CB Heating, we look forward to delivering an even better service and added value for our customers, making it easier for them to switch from polluting fossil fuels to low carbon electricity, and in doing so, save cash and carbon."
EDF set the deal against government policy, citing the extension of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme from 2025 until 2028 and a 50% boost to the air source heat pump grant, rising from £5,000 to £7,5001. It also cited the Future Homes Standard banning the installation of gas boilers in new homes by 2025, and what it described as the total ban of fossil fuel gas boilers by 20351.
On installer numbers, EDF said the UK requires 27,000 qualified engineers to meet government targets of 600,000 heat pump installations each year by 2028, according to Nesta, against around 4,500 qualified heat pump installers currently1. EDF also cited a Clean Heat Market Mechanism impact assessment estimating around 1,500 businesses certified with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme to install heat pumps, employing around 4,500 installers1.
EDF said its partnership with CB Heating has supported the Heat Pump Installers Network (HPIN) Academy, which delivers free training, and that since August 2022 the number of heat pump installers being trained rose 414%, from 90 to 4631. It said the academy has the potential to train up to 4,000 new heat pump installers every year1.
"We plan to train over 1000 heat pump installers in 2024, meaning a quarter of all estimated heat pump installers in the UK will be a HPIN member."
CB Heating, which installed its first heat pump in 2000, holds a Trustpilot rating of 4.8, according to EDF1. As a training provider under the Midlands Net Zero Hub's Heat Pump Training Grant, it offers installers up to £500 discount on the HPIN BPEC Level 3 Award in Installation and Maintenance of Air Source Heat Pumps1. EDF employs around 14,000 people in the UK1.
Why it matters for households
For a household considering a heat pump, the practical questions are who installs it, how long the wait is and what support is available. EDF's stated aim of halving a customer journey it puts at three to four months addresses the waiting time between choosing a system and having it fitted1. The installer workforce figures set out in the announcement indicate the constraint: around 4,500 qualified heat pump installers against more than 150,000 gas engineers1. Training capacity at the HPIN Academy, and CB Heating's stated plan to train over 1,000 installers in 2024, bear directly on how quickly a home can get a survey and an installation date1. The grant figures cited, £7,500 under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, are the sums EDF refers to in its own announcement; the announcement does not set out eligibility conditions1. EDF is one of the suppliers named in the announcement, and its company profile sets out its position in the UK market1.
What happens next
EDF said it is working to halve the customer journey time, which it currently puts at three to four months1. CB Heating said it plans to train over 1,000 heat pump installers in 20241. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is to be extended from 2025 until 2028, and the Future Homes Standard is cited as banning gas boiler installation in new homes by 2025, with a total ban of fossil fuel gas boilers by 20351. No completion date for the integration of CB Heating into EDF's operations has been reported1.