MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme), the UK quality mark for small-scale renewable energy, reported on 26 July 2024 that there were 26,797 certified heat pump installations in the first six months of 2024, a 45 per cent increase on the same period in 20231. MCS said 2024 is on track to see more heat pumps installed in the UK than ever before, and that the annual total is almost certain to exceed any previous year1.
The same release gave figures for two other certified technologies. There were 81,000 certified solar panel installations in 2024, and MCS said more than 80,000 homes had had certified solar panels installed so far in the year, having passed the 1.5 million installations mark earlier in 20241. Battery storage reached 7,900 certified installations in the first half of the year, already a record with six months still to run, which MCS described as a remarkable rise since the Battery Storage Installation Standard was introduced in 20211.
| Certified technology | First half of 2024 | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Heat pumps | 26,797 installations | 45% higher than the same period in 20231 |
| Solar panels | 81,000 installations in 2024 | More than 80,000 homes; 1.5 million mark passed earlier in 20241 |
| Battery storage | 7,900 installations | Already a record for a full year, with six months remaining1 |
Ian Rippin, chief executive of MCS, linked the heat pump figure to government support, noting that the record number of certified heat pump installations had coincided with a record number of Boiler Upgrade Scheme applications in 20241. The scheme provides up to £7,500 towards the installation of a heat pump1. Charlotte Lee, chief executive of the Heat Pump Association, said clarity and confidence from the new Labour government on the direction of travel for the electrification of heat would be crucial to continue the momentum1.
"It is fantastic to see the continuing growth in heat pump installations within the UK, underscoring the progress and commitment from the sector in supporting the decarbonisation of heat."
MCS said the recently published Heat Strategy for Wales highlights a clear commitment to heat pumps1. The release did not give a regional breakdown of the 26,797 installations, and no separate figure for England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland has been reported here1.
Why it matters for households
Certified installation numbers are a measure of how many homes have taken up a technology under a recognised standard, not of how many homes could. For a household weighing up a heat pump, the figures show a market that is growing quickly from a low base: 26,797 installations across the whole UK in six months is a small share of the housing stock, so the technology remains a minority choice rather than the norm. The link MCS draws between certified installations and Boiler Upgrade Scheme applications matters because the grant is the main route by which a household reduces the upfront cost of a heat pump, and the £7,500 figure quoted is the upper end of that support1.
The battery storage figure is the more striking of the two records in terms of pace: 7,900 certified installations in half a year already exceeds any previous full year, and MCS attributes the rise to homeowners increasingly looking to build their own energy resilience1. Battery storage paired with solar is the combination that lets a home use its own generation later in the day rather than exporting it immediately, which is the practical form that energy independence takes for most households. The solar total of 81,000 certified installations in 2024, against a cumulative 1.5 million, shows that solar remains the most widely adopted of the three technologies1.
What happens next
MCS said the 2024 total for heat pumps is almost certain to be higher than any previous year, with the second half of the year still to be counted1. No further dated milestones were given in the release.
Sources1 cited
- 2024 set to be a record-breaking year for heat pump installations - MCS, mcscertified.com