UK heat pump market set to double in 2021

A survey of its members by The Heat Pump Association has revealed that the UK market is set to double this year.

The HPA, which represents around 95 per cent of the heat pump manufacturing market share, says manufacturers have placed orders with their supply chains to deliver 67,000 units in 2021.

With 35,000 heat pumps sold in 2019, the near doubling of the market is a significant step in the right direction. The growth also closely aligns with theHPA’s roadmap to net zero,which called for 72,000 heat pump installations this year.

Phil Hurley, chair of the Heat Pump Association, said:“The near doubling of the heat pump market this year would be a substantial achievement at a time when the decarbonisation of homes and buildings is not just desired but essential; our members are committed to turning today’s forecast into a reality and have clearly backed this up with their advanced ordering.”

Max Halliwell, residential heating expert at Mitsubishi Electric, said: “Last year, the Prime Minister laid out ambitious plans for 600,000 heat pumps to be installed per year by 2028 – the current trajectory puts us well on course to deliver on that target.

“Residential heating accounts for around 30 per cent of emissions in the UK. As a nation, we still rely far too heavily on heat generated from burning fossil fuels – not only does this put us directly at loggerheads with the government’s plans, but it is having a drastically worrying impact on the environment.

“To meet the numbers needed set out by the government and to help reduce those residential heating emissions, it is essential the industry keeps extolling the benefit of heat pumps to as many people as possible and rapidly upskill installers to help us meet the growing demand and reduce the costs putting off many consumers.”

The Heat Pump Association says it is committed to preparing and upskilling the installer base across the country so that they can recommend and deploy heat pumps at the scale net zero requires, while delivering long term benefits to customers across the country.