Plan for more installers as demand for heat pumps surges
The government has set out plans to train up to 18,000 more home retrofitters to install heat pumps, insulation, solar panels and heat networks, alongside a new deal to support the UK’s heat pump supply chain. The move is part of a plan to give homeowners more choice over ways to access heating systems and bring down costs under proposals being considered as part of the Warm Homes Plan. Demand for heat pumps is growing, with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme receiving more than 4,000 applications in March, up by 88% on the same month last year.
Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland plant of the US company Copeland, which specializes in the production of low-carbon heat pumps, has been awarded £4.6 million to expand its manufacturing capacity. Last year Copeland completed a £19 million investment at its Cookstown factory. The investment is aimed at increasing production capacity in order to meet European demand for the sustainable low-carbon heat pumps necessary to help address climate change.
The chief executive of the Heat Pump Association Charlotte Lee welcomed the announcement, which she said would support growth in the sector and further encourage the move to clean heating.
