What we are doing and why
Many more skilled heat pump installers are needed to reach the UK’s net-zero targets. Figure 1 displays the Heat Pump Association’s (HPA) projection of installers needed each year to reach the target of 600,000 heat pump installations annually by 2028. This broadly echoes our own forecast, which was that the heat pump sector needs to grow by 4,000 to 6,000 installers per year. To achieve this, one of the biggest challenges to overcome will be recruiting enough skilled installers to meet demand.
Encouragingly, the number of heating professionals attending heat pump training is increasing, as reported by the HPA (figure 2).
Figure 2. Number of individuals trained to install heat pumps in the UK (source: HPA)
However, these numbers do not necessarily translate into a growing active heat pump workforce. Recent estimates from a DESNZ survey of newly trained installers suggest that only 27% (out of 121 installers) have begun actively installing heat pumps after completing their training. While these numbers are expected to rise – especially since around half of the respondents had completed their training within the six months leading up to the survey – it does indicate that general plumbing and heating engineers face challenges when entering the heat pump industry.
Interviews with heat pump installers and industry experts reveal that newly-trained installers face several challenges when trying to secure their first few heat pump jobs. For instance, many installers struggle to attract their first customer and achieve MCS certification. Additionally, they often feel uncertain about their practical skills, are daunted by the paperwork, and may even still have doubts about the effectiveness of the technology.
Supporting existing plumbers and heating professionals to incorporate heat pump installations in their portfolio of work is the quickest way to create a skilled competent and confident workforce able to perform consistently high-quality installations in homes across the UK. We believe that facilitating the first installation for plumbing and heating professionals is key to encouraging more professionals to enter the marketplace with more confidence and better skills.
In the Start at home project, we are testing whether giving newly trained heat pump installers first-hand experience from installing an air-source heat pump in their own home helps accelerate the transition of their business to retrofit heat pump installations after course completion, boost their confidence in their skills and the technology, and increase customer attraction.
