Falling behind on heat pumps

The UK is lagging far behind its European neighbours for installers working on heat pumps and solar panels, according to plumbing and drainage manufacturer Wavin.

Its new study follows the government’s recent additions to the Future Homes Standard, which aims to ensure that the majority of new build homes in England will be fitted with solar panels and efficient, low-carbon heating such as heat pumps to keep household energy bills low.

The study by Wavin found a sharp 10% drop between Q4 2024 and Q1 2025 in heating, ventilation and air conditioning installers working on heat pumps, from 60% to 50%. This trend is seemingly fuelled by a shortage of skills, with just half (49%) of UK installers able to fit heat pumps compared to 83% of their German counterparts.

For more information go to wavin.com/gb

Image credit | iStock