Heat pump installations in the UK have already exceeded last year’s total, setting a new milestone for the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) with three months still to go in 2024. By the end of September, 42,000 installations were completed—outpacing 2023's total by approximately 4%.
The UK government is launching the Warm Homes Grant in 2025, an exciting initiative aimed at helping homeowners make their properties more energy-efficient. This fully funded scheme is available to those who meet certain criteria and could significantly reduce your energy costs while lowering your home's carbon footprint.
This week, the UK's last coal power station closed, signalling that the country’s energy landscape is undergoing a massive transformation. For over 200 years, coal was king, powering industry and homes alike. But today, renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydro are rapidly replacing fossil fuels in the national grid. With that change comes a new challenge—and opportunity—for those of us in the heating and plumbing industry.
With the UK election out the way and a new government in place, we feel it’s important to explore the potential implications for the heat pump market now that Labour has taken the helm. For plumbers, particularly those considering diversifying into heat pump installations, Labour's anticipated measures could present significant opportunities in the evolving green energy sector.
The UK remains overly dependent on natural gas, according to the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), which provides independent recommendations to the government.
In its recent annual assessment, the NIC highlights the urgent need to reduce reliance on high-cost, high-carbon natural gas and accelerate the adoption of heat pump technology to meet the ambitious net zero targets by 2050. According to the Commission, decarbonising buildings is a critical aspect of this transition and represents the single biggest challenge on the path to net zero.
We are delighted and encouraged by the government's ongoing commitment to incentivise heat pump adoption. The decision to extend the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) until 2028 (initially scheduled to end in 2025) represents a welcome step forward by the government. This extension will expedite the shift from conventional fossil fuel boilers to sustainable heating systems.
At Alto Energy, we are committed to providing a top-notch training experience for heating installers and professionals in the industry. We are thrilled to announce that the expansion of our warehouse means that we can upgrade our heat pump training facility. These developments signify our dedication to delivering exceptional services and training opportunities to heating installers across the country.
The InstallerSHOW is right around the corner and we’re excited to be exhibiting. The exhibition is being held at the NEC in Birmingham from the 27th - 29th June and you can find us at stand A20 during the 3 day event. Our aim is to meet as many heating installers as we can and help those who are interested in expanding their business into the heat pump market.
With 2023 well underway, we’re preparing for our fourth year at the InstallerSHOW. As the UK transitions away from traditional gas boilers and moves towards a sustainable future, more and more heating engineers are looking to pivot into the growing heat pump market. Our aim for the InstallerSHOW is to reach plumbers, gas engineers and heating installers who would like to expand their service offering, and show them how easy it is to offer an MCS accredited heat pump installation, using our MCS Umbrella Scheme.
We’re looking for a skilled administrator to join our amazing office team. As our business continues to grow, we are expanding our business support team. We operate in the exciting, challenging and growing market of renewable energy products - specifically ground and air source heat pumps - and so we’re looking for the right person to help us achieve our goals.
We are very excited to announce that we have taken on a new engineer in Scotland, as well as opening a new branch in Scotland! So if you have a project in Scotland and you’re considering heat pumps, or you have a heat pump already and require a service before the Winter, get in touch today, or read on to find out more…
