Following Rishi Sunak’s recent announcements on net zero, the Heat Pump Association digests the pledges and calls for a firm commitment to the policy surrounding decarbonising home heating to reaffirm installer and consumer confidence
In recent years, the global community has been increasingly focused on addressing climate change and reducing carbon emissions.
As part of this effort, governments worldwide have been rolling out ambitious plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 or earlier.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s recent announcements on a new approach to net zero have garnered significant attention and interest.
The Heat Pump Association, an organisation providing the voice of the UK heat pump sector, reacted to the announcements with caution and stressed the importance of a firm commitment to phasing out fossil fuel boilers, rather than merely treating it as an ambition.
This article explores the Heat Pump Association’s reaction in full and the potential impact on both the industry and consumer confidence.
Domestic heating accounts for 17% of UK emissions
While the United Kingdom’s legally binding commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 remains, the recent changes in net zero policy have made it harder to achieve.
One of the key pillars of the net zero mission is the transition to cleaner and more sustainable forms of home heating. In 2019, 17% of UK emissions came from heating homes.
In March 2021, the government announced its Heat & Buildings Strategy, setting out a plan for decarbonising home heating across the nation through electrification.
How has Sunak’s announcement damaged confidence in the heat pump sector?
Sunak’s recent announcement included postponing the ban on installing fossil fuel boilers for off-gas grid homes from 2026 to 2035 to align with the proposed on-gas grid phase-out of fossil fuel boilers.
A 20% heat pump exemption for unsuitable homes was also announced, alongside scrapping policies that would require landlords to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties, which all have an impact on the trajectory of net zero.
Through these announcements, the government has once again moved the goalposts and this risks damaging investor, installer, and consumer confidence in the heat pump sector unless this reconfirmed end date for fossil fuel boilers is strengthened from being an “ambition” to being a firm commitment.
The delay is yet another blow to the heating industry’s confidence in government policy as industry – including boiler manufacturers, has invested in good faith in manufacturing facilities, training and innovation to support heat pump deployment in keeping with the government’s election manifesto and Heat & Buildings Strategy commitments – particularly in line with the now abandoned end-date of 2026 for fossil fuel boilers off the gas grid.
Moreover, introducing and justifying possible exemptions by suggesting that many homes are not suitable for a heat pump is not supported by the most recent findings of government-funded heat pump field trials.
A ‘wait-and-see’ approach could delay decarbonising home heating
Consumers and installers may now adopt a damaging “wait-and-see” approach based on incorrect information, thereby delaying the inevitable transition to decarbonising heat.
While we are pleased that within the announcements, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant has been increased to £7,500 from 23 October, the current budget (£1.5m per year) will now only support 20,000 heat pumps per year, just 3% of the 600,000 ambition for 2028.
We have urged the government to take steps to increase this budget to allow all those who wish to install a heat pump to benefit from the grant.
We have called upon the government to take swift action to reassure the heat pump market – by making the 2035 end date for fossil fuel boilers a firm commitment, by introducing the Future Homes and Buildings Standards in 2025 for new build, by increasing the budget available for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and to take urgent action to reduce the price of electricity relative to fossil fuels. The lowest carbon heat must be the lowest cost heat.The HPA calls for a firm commitment on policies surrounding decarbonising home heating, to reaffirm installer and consumer confidence
Such commitments will not only drive industry growth but also boost consumer confidence, making the transition to low-carbon heating technologies more attainable and sustainable. It is time to turn ambitious goals into actionable and irreversible plans for a greener and more sustainable future.
Heat Pump Association
Tel: +44 (0)118 940 3416
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