Heat Training Grant: discounted heat pump training
Government scheme to upskill heating engineers
Following the news that the UK Government is offering grants to train heat pump installers, we sat down with a spokesperson from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to deep dive into the grant and its benefits. You can read the original announcement on the Gov.uk site here.
Ready to find out how this will accelerate heat pump uptake in the UK? Read on…
The headline news
The Heat Training Grant is designed to support heating engineers to train in installing low carbon heating technologies – including heat pumps. A rigorous search has pinpointed high quality training and over 60 locations in England will now offer heating engineers £500 discounts towards becoming fully qualified heat pump installers. Trainees can sign up directly with any of the participating training providers now.
In addition to the grant, heating manufacturers Baxi, Ideal Heating, NIBE, Vaillant and Worcester Bosch are providing additional benefits, at specific centres, to people who take part. These include discounted training, discounts on their products, and loyalty schemes. These are especially useful for installers who are new to heat pump installation. And purchasers looking to offer heat pumps to consumers can access the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which allows them to offer a discount of up to £5000 towards a heat pump or £6000 towards the ground source heat pump. You can find details of this offer on Ofgem’s website here.
These benefits and more are outlined on the Gov.uk website which you can find here.
The future in focus: now is the time to act
The UK Government expects 600,000 heat pump installations per year by 2028 – a ten times increase from those installed in 2021. That’s great news for purchasers in the market for energy efficient heating solutions as it speaks to how fast this sector is moving. Plus, many installers will already be aware that the future home standard is coming in 2025. That means that new homes will need to have low carbon heating systems, so gas and oil will need to be replaced with an alternate solution, like heat pumps.
“The pace of change means a big push is needed to meet upcoming targets.”
The goal for the UK to stop using fossil fuels by 2050 is fast approaching, and heat pumps represent one of the low carbon options that are leading this charge. They are, so far, the most scalable heating technology – and are set to play a big role in the future. As costs for this technology continue to come down and regulations are updated, they are key to driving towards that 600,000 by 2028.
Overcoming the barriers to upskilling
Another key offering of this announcement is peace of mind that the training is high quality. When it comes to upskilling into new areas, it can be difficult for engineers to know what’s good, what’s most relevant, and where to start. The Heat Training Grant has established a standard and only works with training suppliers who can uphold it.
An important note is that the training is aimed at small business (with fewer than 250 employees) and sole traders. It might be a challenge for these engineers to take time off to train, and that’s one reason why additional incentives are provided. Think of this as an investment in the future of your business – and this scheme will be by your side to support your development.
"We know that, as a heating engineer, you're not going to recommend a product that you don't understand."
At the moment, heat pumps work for certain consumers and not others. Over time, the proportion of consumers that heat pumps work for is going to increase. The demand for heat pumps is going up and as long as that pace continues, this tech will become a standard approach across the sector. This is good news for manufacturers of heat pumps as the technology becomes more normalised – and hopefully engineers will now be positioned to recommend the solution.
“We also have HPIAC, a great opportunity for manufacturers.”
The Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition (HPIAC), worth up to £30 million, will help bring forward investment into the manufacturing supply chain. It's intended to support heat pump manufacturing innovation and development, boosting the domestic supply of heat pumps and helping to create more jobs. Manufacturers should bid to have their plans put into action, so make sure to find out more about the competition on Gov.uk here.
Heat pumps and the ETL
As demand for low carbon tech increases, the ETL is here to meet it. The scheme is constantly reviewing the criteria for this technology to ensure it’s up to the ever-shifting standards of energy efficiency. And if more engineers and technicians are going to help increase the demand for this tech, the ETL will support with its free and impartial service.
In addition to the long-term financial savings, upgrading or replacing equipment with high efficiency products listed on the ETL provide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings through the reduced demand for energy – improving your environmental performance in the long run. You can find the heat pumps category on the ETL website.
Sign up today
The Heat Training Grant is now open for applications with funding guaranteed until 2025, with the possibility of it being extended even further. This speaks to the impact that energy efficient heating technology looks to have on the UK’s low carbon future. There are more schemes just like this – including a low carbon heating technician apprenticeship – just on the horizon, so look out for further announcements.
Ready to make an application? Get started today through the Gov.uk website. You can also check out the list of providers linked in this article as applying with them directly should also get you the discount – just mention the scheme to them in your query.
Are you a manufacturer of energy-saving heating equipment? Gain independent verification by registering on the ETL today for free.
If you’re in the market for low carbon heating technologies, browse our heat pumps category on the ETL website now.