Trade association says new industry figures showing a year-on-year fall in EU heat pump sales highlights the importance of effective long-term support for the systems in the UK
UK authorities are being urged to expand support and incentives for heat pumps on the back of declining EU sales for lower carbon systems last year.
The Heat Pump Association (HPA) said that new industry figures showing that annual heat pump sales within 14 major EU markets had collectively fallen by close to five per cent in 2023 should be seen as an important reminder about the need for effectively policy and market support.
A statement from the trade body said that its counterparts in Europe had attributed uncertainty about long-term EU-wide policy and the higher cost of electricity compared to gas as some of the main reasons for a year-on-year fall in sales in several major markets for heat pump systems.
The HPA added that concerns about electricity costs and the uncertainty about long-term policies to incentivise heat pump installations were consistent with issues facing the UK heat pump sector. Plans to successfully address these concerns were urgently needed to help deliver on government aims for a minimum of 600,000 heat pump systems to be installed across the country each year, the association stated.
Charlotte Lee, chief executive officer of the HPA, said that UK heat pump sales had grown by four per cent over the course of 2023 compared to the previous year. Ms Lee said it would be important to continue to encourage growth and support the market to prevent a similar market decline seen during 2023 in the latest figures from the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA)
She said: “The latest statistics from the EHPA illustrate the uncertainty surrounding the sector and must act as a wake-up call for all stakeholders involved in the world’s transition to low carbon energy use.”
“We need clear, consistent and decisive action from governments across Europe and in the UK to reverse this overall decline, and as highlighted by the EHPA’s report, one of the biggest influencing factors is the price of electricity relative to gas. The lowest carbon heat must be the lowest cost heat to accelerate the transition to electrification.”