There was close to a 20 per cent jump in heat pump installations in 2023 compared to the previous year, with over 220,000 heat pumps in use.

The majority of installations were solar panels, with nearly 190,000 households and businesses opting to install them. This is the highest number since cuts to the Feed-in Tariff subsidy in 2011.

But it was the heat pump sector that saw the greatest breakthrough according to the figures compiled from the MCS database of certified renewable energy installations.

The MCS Foundation said that heat pump uptake was being driven by demand for carbon-free heating, supported by Government grants. The Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant was increased in October last year from £5,000 for an air-source heat pump to £7,500, with applications for the grant up by 50 per cent following the introduction of the higher rate.

The total number of certified installations by technology for 2023 showed 189,836 solar PV projects installed, 36,799 air source heat pumps and 2,469 ground or water source heat pumps for a total of 229,618 technologies installed in 2023. This brings the total renewable installations to date to 1,727,606.

The growth in heat pump installations looks set to continue, with the Government currently consulting on plans to require all new homes to have a heat pump or be connected to a low-carbon heat network from next year. New rules are also coming into force this year that will require boiler manufacturers to sell a proportionate amount of heat pumps relative to their boiler sales, under the Clean Heat Market Mechanism.

David Cowdrey, director of external affairs at the MCS Foundation, said: “It is very encouraging to see the growth in all renewable energy, and particularly heat pumps. More households than ever are opting for these carbon-free and highly efficient heating systems that are zero emissions at point of use.”

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