Heat pump growth stalls as government support cut, warns climate watchdog
Summary
The number of heat pumps installed in the UK increased by only 7% last year, much less than the 56% growth seen in 2024. This slowdown follows the government cutting a grant program that helped poorer households install heat pumps, which use electricity instead of gas to heat homes and reduce carbon emissions.Key Facts
- Heat pump installations in the UK grew by 7% in the last year, down from 56% the year before.
- The government ended the ECO scheme, which fully funded heat pumps for low-income households after issues with bad installations.
- The Boiler Upgrade Scheme still offers a £7,500 grant but households may need to pay over £2,500 themselves.
- About 20% of the UK's emissions come from heating homes, most of which currently use gas boilers.
- Heat pumps use electricity, which can come from clean sources like wind and solar energy.
- The UK has some of the highest electricity bills in Europe, making running heat pumps costly.
- Electric car sales continue to rise, with one in four new cars being electric, helped by high petrol prices.
- The government plans to weaken the zero emission vehicles target, but climate advisors want to keep it to support cleaner transport.
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