Heat pump training scheme wins over installers

The heat pump training scheme has won over installers, with early evaluations showing a 40% increase in reported confidence and competence among participants. That is not a trivial number. For the 1.2 million UK households that the Climate Change Committee says need to install a heat pump by 2030, it means the people doing the work are less likely to botch the job.

As reported by Energy Live News, the scheme has been embraced by installers who previously lacked confidence in the technology. That is a welcome shift. A 2023 survey by the Heat Pump Association found that one in three installers had refused to fit a heat pump because they felt undertrained. That gap is now closing.

Who qualifies, and who doesn’t

The training scheme is open to any qualified heating installer in England and Wales, with funding covering the full cost of the course, typically £1,500 to £2,500 per person. The government has allocated £5 million to run the programme until March 2025, enough to train roughly 2,500 installers. But the catch is scale. To meet the 2030 target, the UK needs around 27,000 trained heat pump installers, according to the Heat Pump Association. At the current rate, the scheme will train barely a tenth of that.

Homeowners should not assume that a trained installer guarantees a perfect job. The scheme focuses on the technical aspects of heat pump sizing, pipework, and controls, but it does not cover building fabric improvements. A heat pump will still underperform in a draughty, uninsulated home. The Energy Saving Trust says a typical 3-bed semi needs cavity wall insulation and loft insulation to 270mm before a heat pump becomes cost-effective.

What it costs a typical 3-bed semi

A properly installed heat pump can cut heating bills by 20-40% compared to a gas boiler, according to the Energy Saving Trust. On a typical gas bill of £900 a year, that is a saving of £180 to £360 annually. But the upfront cost remains steep. Before the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, a heat pump installation costs between £7,000 and £13,000. After the grant, that drops to £0 to £5,500, depending on the complexity of the job.

The training scheme could shave off some of that cost. More qualified installers means more competition, which tends to lower prices. But the bigger savings come from avoiding mistakes. A poorly sized heat pump can cost an extra £200 a year in electricity alone, according to a 2024 study by the Energy Systems Catapult. A trained installer is far less likely to make that error.

The EPC impact, what changes

Installing a heat pump can improve an EPC rating by one to two bands, but only if the rest of the home is efficient. A heat pump alone will not lift a D-rated home to a C. The government’s own analysis shows that a typical 3-bed semi with an EPC of D needs at least £5,000 in insulation upgrades before a heat pump makes sense. The training scheme does not address this, but homeowners can combine the heat pump with the Great British Insulation Scheme, which covers up to £1,500 for insulation work.

Ofgem data shows that fewer than 5% of homes with heat pumps have an EPC below C. That is a chicken-and-egg problem: you need a decent EPC to get a heat pump, but you need a heat pump to improve the EPC. The training scheme at least ensures that when homeowners do make the leap, the installer knows what they are doing.

Households considering a heat pump should book a trained installer through the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) database. The training scheme is a step forward, but it is not a silver bullet. The real work, insulating the home, still falls on the homeowner. Start with a home energy survey from the Energy Saving Trust, then look at the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Applications are open now, and the grant is available until March 2027.