Installers are split on whether they will be installing heat pumps in their customers’ homes, according to latest research by Baxi.
Baxi’s research with installers found that nearly a third – equivalent to about 37,000 of the more than 130,000 of the UK’s heating engineers – are prepared to embrace heat pumps in the near future.
By contrast, around 30% said they are extremely unlikely to install heat pumps.
The government is targeting 600,000 heat pump installations every year by 2028, representing ten times the current market.
Amongst the main findings in the report “Heating Installers: Taking the Leap to a Low Carbon Future” were that the government and the industry will need to address the important issue of training costs, ensuring there is enough demand from customers and reducing paperwork.
Indeed, 39% said they would be more likely to install heat pumps if they received help with training costs.
In terms of customer demand, 56% of installers said customer demand needed to be addressed and 38% of installers are concerned about lack of government support for the market.
On paperwork, 44% wanted support to reduce the burden of paperwork, for example in applying for government assistance schemes.
Karen Boswell, managing director of Baxi UK & Ireland, said: “Installers will play an important role as we decarbonise the nation’s heating and it will be vital that the government and industry support them with the right information, incentives and training.
“They will need to be advocates for low carbon sources of heat and recommend to the nation’s homeowners that they should make the leap to a heat pump. To achieve this, we will need to address their concerns, support them with training, and explain more clearly the financial and non-financial benefits of these appliances.”