Heat pumps might still be divisive, but the UK’s Future Homes and Buildings Standard firmly places them at the centre of the clean heat transition. The regulatory change, which comes into force from March 2027, will require new domestic and commercial buildings to use low-carbon heating systems, effectively mandating heat pumps, solar PV and improved building fabric for new build.
While this is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, we know that making heat pumps mainstream can’t happen overnight. We need a much larger skilled workforce of installers with the confidence to recommend, design, install and maintain heat pumps. So, what’s holding installers back?
At Baxi, our work with installers suggests that the industry conversation needs to move beyond whether heating engineers are ‘for’ or ‘against’ heat pumps. The reality is far more nuanced. Many installers are interested, pragmatic and commercially aware. They can see the direction of travel, they understand changing customer needs, and they know that diversifying skills can help protect their businesses for the future.
But as professionals who take pride in their work and reputation, they are used to being accountable. When a customer has no heating or hot water, the installer is the person they call. When a system doesn’t work efficiently or is misunderstood, the installer is expected to explain and resolve it. This direct relationship with the customer means some installers might understandably be cautious about adopting technologies where the design, specification, installation and handover process can appear more complex than a straightforward boiler replacement.
Appetite versus caution
Our latest Baxi Installer Skills Survey1 provides useful evidence of this balance between appetite and caution. More than half of the UK heating engineers surveyed are either already developing, or likely to work with other companies to develop, heat pump competencies. This is significant because it shows that installers are not standing still. They are actively considering how to participate in the heat pump market, often through collaboration, partnership and upskilling rather than by trying to do everything alone from day one. But the survey also found that lack of consumer demand remains the leading barrier to heat pump uptake, highlighting that installer appetite cannot be considered in isolation. If customers are not asking for heat pumps, if the route feels complicated, or if the cost seems too high, all of this can deter heating engineers from expanding into this market. Continuing challenges around the administrative burden attached to government schemes are also viewed as a deterrent, although practical support like Baxi’s MCS Umbrella Service is addressing these concerns. By taking care of the design, compliance and paperwork, manufacturers can free installers up to focus on delivering efficient, low carbon heating.
Uptick in training
On the upside, the survey showed encouraging progress in training. The number of installers citing a lack of training as a barrier fell compared with the previous year, suggesting that industry investment in training is making a difference. At Baxi, for example, we have seen more than 1,000 installers attend our heat pump training courses over the last 12 months, which demonstrates both the scale of interest and the responsibility manufacturers have to support the energy transition properly.
But here’s the caveat: Training courses should not be mere box-ticking exercises. We firmly believe the installer should leave the course with a full understanding of the information they have received and new knowledge and skills that will help them in their day-to-day work. A heat pump is not a difficult technology, but it does need the right approach. We want installers to leave understanding why system temperatures matter, why emitter performance matters, why controls and customer education matter, and why the whole home needs to be considered. At the end of the day, heat pump adoption will depend not on basic awareness, but on whether installers feel able to deliver reliable outcomes in live customer settings.
We also need to make training as accessible as possible for our installer customers who are typically time poor. For us, that means making sure they are never more than 45 minutes from one of our three solutions centres and 13 satellite hubs, all of which are stocked with our ASHPs.
Catering for all learning styles
It’s not just about location, either. People learn differently, so it’s important to cater for all learning styles, with courses developed around e-learning and pre-learning, live virtual training, and, of course, in-person training.
Our investment in a fully equipped digital studio at our flagship Solutions Academy in Warwick supports our e-learning platform. The digital platform is designed to give greater accessibility to Baxi’s training content, allowing people to move forward in their careers at their pace and convenience. Heating engineers also benefit by being able to extend their in-person training with follow-up out-of-class sessions designed to enrich their overall learning experience. These areas support the delivery of different learning techniques with theory, visual and kinetic learning, ensuring that we accommodate all learners.
And of course it’s important for manufacturers not to sit still. We are constantly looking to innovate and improve our ASHP training offering, identifying emerging technologies that will increase our ability to train smarter and enhance our customers’ learning experience. This includes adding new courses where they will add value. A case in point is the Heat Pump Masterclass. This new hybrid course, which combines flexible online learning with practical hands-on training, has been specially designed to develop the skills and confidence required to become an expert heat pump installer.
Winning the Training Provider of the Year Award
The company’s focus on supporting the installer journey is why being named Training Provider of the Year at the National ACR & Heat Pump Awards is so important to us. It is recognition of the work we do to help installers move from awareness to capability, and from capability to confidence.
The award recognises the people who deliver that training every day. Effective installer training depends on more than technical content. It depends on trainers who understand the pressures installers face, who can answer practical questions, and who can translate product and system knowledge into real jobsite decision-making.
And perhaps most rewarding of all, the award reflects our own evolution from a traditional boiler manufacturer to an award-winning solutions provider with real competence in low-carbon heating.
Driving change
Clearly there is ongoing work to do in encouraging new talent and providing accessible upskilling pathways to create the skilled workforce needed to accelerate the clean energy transition.
But what about the gap between interest and action? As an industry, we can work to close this by meeting installers where they are and helping them move forward. We know the appetite is there, but it needs to be converted into competence. The competence is growing, but it must be backed with the best tools, solutions, training and technical support that we can provide.
By recognising the commercial realities installers face, removing practical barriers, and continuing to invest in accessible training that builds true competence, we can help build that all-important confidence in working with heat pumps and accelerate progress.
For more information on Baxi’s training courses visit: www.baxi.co.uk/professional/ training/heat-pump-training
Source
- www.baxi.co.uk/professional/help-and-advice/ news/uk-installers-warming-to-heat-pumps
