The Heat Pump Association (HPA) says the market is set to almost double this year.
The HPA has carried out a survey of its members – it represents around 95% of the heat pump manufacturing market share – to estimate the supply of heat pumps in 2021.
This has revealed that manufactures have placed orders with their supply chains to deliver a total of 67,000 units in 2021. This equates to a nearly double the number of heat pumps on shelves and in warehouses ready for installers to meet the growing consumer demand.
The Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan included ambitions to roll out 600,000 heat pumps into homes per year by 2028. 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 the HPA’s roadmap to net zero, which called for 72,000 heat pump installations this year.
The HPA is making continuous progress with a new training route for heat pump installers, with courses expected to begin with the first quarter of this year. Trained heat pump installers are a key part of the low carbon transition and the HPA outlined a new scalable route to becoming heat pump installer in its 2020 report: ‘Building the Installer Base for Net Zero Heating’.
The route proposed begins with a technology neutral, low temperature heating course, before specialising in low carbon technologies including heat pumps.
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.
The estimation of 67,000 heat pumps in 2021 shows the confidence from members of the HPA in delivering the scale up of heat pumps that the Prime Minister’s Ten Point plan necessitates. This is just the beginning of a long journey ahead but we’re off to an incredibly promising start.”
