‘No one saves the planet if it hits their pocket’: UK heat pump installers fear planned subsidy cuts
Summary
UK heat pump installers fear that planned cuts to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme would reduce customer demand and threaten jobs across the industry. The scheme offers grants of up to £9,000 for replacing fossil-fuel or direct-electric heating with low-carbon systems, and many installers say their businesses depend on it.Key Facts
- The Boiler Upgrade Scheme began in 2022 to help property owners switch to low-carbon heating.
- The scheme provides upfront grants of up to £9,000 for eligible heating systems, including heat pumps and biomass boilers.
- The article reports that the government is understood to be considering cuts to the scheme’s funding in its upcoming budget.
- Sustain Homes operations director Bill Tuck said about 75% of his customers use government subsidies to pay for heat pumps.
- Installer Adam Killa said his weekly installations fell from six to eight to zero after a previous clean-heat subsidy scheme closed in 2022.
- Installers warn that lower demand could put apprenticeships, jobs, manufacturers and related trades at risk.
- Government data cited in the article says heating buildings accounts for nearly one-fifth of UK greenhouse gas emissions.
- The article says the UK has 3.5 heat pumps per 1,000 households, compared with 632 per 1,000 in Norway.
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