The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has announced more than £14 million in funding, with £5 million allocated to train thousands of heat pump installers.
Over £9.7 million will go towards four Heat Pump Ready projects, helping cut costs and reducing disruption to consumers by coordinating the wide-spread rollout in concentrated areas.
The new £5 million Heat Training Grant will support 10,000 trainees over the next two years to become low-carbon heating experts. Grants of up to £500 will go towards training with heating manufacturers such as Panasonic, Vaillant and Worcester Bosch expected to offer additional discounts to participating trainees.
The grant could cover most of the cost of a level 3 heat pump course, which takes one week or less for an experienced gas or oil heating installer to complete.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Lord Callanan, said:
This funding will give the rollout of heat pumps a huge boost by making them cheaper and easier to install, and importantly helping more households move away from costly fossil fuels.
But we need a skilled workforce to deliver this, so we’re training thousands of people to be experts at installing heat pumps and heat networks, driving the country’s push towards net zero.
We’re also making sure the cost of installing a heat pump is more affordable than ever before through grants of up to £6,000 through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and a zero rate on VAT. So, it’s right we also put funding in place to train installers to meet demand.
The four Heat Pump Ready projects, two in Oxfordshire and one each in Bristol and Cambridgeshire have been successful in the second phase of funding.
Karen Boswell, Managing Director UK and Ireland at heating manufacturer Baxi, said:
We welcome the Government’s investment in developing the new skills needed to support the growth of low-carbon heating solutions in homes and buildings.
We are fully committed to helping the industry transition to net zero, and we’re focused on helping individuals access opportunities to participate in the anticipated growth of air source heat pumps.
