Figures released by the Climate Change Committee paint a picture of ‘the growth story of the decade’, according to experts.
Applications for the government-backed Boiler Upgrade Scheme surged last year, with 45,723 households looking to take advantage of support for switching their domestic energy source to low and no carbon options.
A 36% increase compared with 2024, submissions peaked in November – hitting 5,328 for that month alone – and only dropped below 3,000 during December, a time when many Britons are prioritising budgets for the Christmas season.
Although sales figures have not been released, the Climate Change Committee expects a similar increase, up from 100,000 units in 2024 to around 135,000 for last year. 2026 could see continued growth, with recently announced Warm Homes Plan allocating £2.7 billion to help more people replace outmoded boilers with more modern and climate-friendly heating systems. The government has already said it aims to subsidise some 360,000 heat pumps through this scheme.
‘Across Europe, 30 million households already rely on electric heating, and heat pumps are a mainstream technology, delivering savings, comfort, and efficiency in countries like Sweden, where people are no strangers to long, cold winters,’ said Matt Isherwood, UK Managing Director at heat pump giant Aira UK. The UK is now following a well-established, proven path, and the sector is positioned to accelerate rapidly as confidence, capability, and policy support continue to align.’
Downing Street presented its Warm Homes Plan last month, outlining how it aimed to support more households make improvements to the energy performance of their residence. While this was broadly welcomed, Environment Journal ran an in-depth feature outlining what is, and isn’t, covered, with input from experts as to the opportunities and shortcomings of the roadmap.
You can read our assessment here.
Image: Julian Hochgesang / Unsplash
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