Heat pumps Scotland: UK risks losing £65m over ‘slow’ heat pump rollout, analysts claim

​The UK risks losing out on £65 million every year by the end of the decade if it does not speed up the rollout of heat pumps, energy analysts have said.

Three-quarters of the UK's boiler exports are to countries that have phase-out dates before 2030 and the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said the Government was jeopardising this income by not providing greater support to heat pump manufacturing.

Using United Nations trade data, the ECIU said exports of central heating boilers roughly halved between 2019 and 2022 – from £150m to £85m – which they suggested may be down to countries moving away from gas boilers as a result of the energy crisis and aims of reaching net zero.

Around three million heat pumps were sold in Europe last year, an increase of 40 per cent from the year before, taking the total to more than 20 million, according to the International Energy Agency.

Heat pump installed at the wall of a detached family house. Picture: Getty Images

ECIU energy analyst Jess Ralston said: "The switch to clean heat is continuing at pace outside of the UK as the US and Europe learn their lesson from the gas crisis. It's starting to look like we haven't.

"The UK's existing boiler manufacturers must be able to see the writing on the wall.

"With clear signals from Government on the future of heating at home, we can take our expertise abroad and get ahead on heat pumps before we lose our place amongst the leaders of the world's heating industry."

Heat pumps are generally more efficient than gas boilers, but installing them can be prohibitively expensive for many people.

Luke Sheppard, a gas boiler-turned-heat pump installer, from Peacehaven in East Sussex, said fitting a heat pump costs between £2,000 and £5,000, but many houses also need remedial work to make them more efficient, which can take the total price to between £15,000 and £25,000.

In Scotland up to £7,500 is available towards installing a heat pump, so long as certain conditions are met.

The UK Government wants there to be 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 2028, though its advisers have warned that installation rates are well off track, with other European countries much further ahead.