UK’s Heat Pump Industry Still In Infancy Stage

A study recommends that the government should work towards scaling up the industry

Despite the government’s target to reach net zero emissions by 2050, the UK’s heat pump supply chain is still in its infancy and remains much weaker than in mainland Europe or Asia, states research by a think tank. A report by the Social Market Foundation looked at the economic and environmental benefits of making the UK’s heat pump supply chain “more robust and provides recommendations for how to turn this opportunity into a reality”.

The study outlines the benefits of strengthening its supply chain and how best to do so. It states that domestic production could contribute £5.5 billion to the UK economy by 2035, spur job creation, and reduce the risk of supply chain shocks. It recommends that the government should work with industry and training providers to develop a strategy for scaling up the heat pump installer workforce, restructure energy pricing, and promote innovative financial products to make heat pump installation more affordable.

Most importantly, though, it argues that the government needs to stop playing around with its net zero targets and provide the policy certainty needed to encourage manufacturers to invest, and installers need to retrain. Heat pumps have “a critical role to play in decarbonising home heating, which accounts for 14% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions”, says the group.