PHAM NEWS | MAY 2025 Energy Matters 17


Rules on smarter heating Growth in demand for small-scale renewables


More than 31,000 small-scale renewable energy systems were certified in March, making it the most active month of 2025 so far, according to new data from MCS. The figures show a 49% increase


New heat pumps sold in the UK will need to include smart functionality under new rules designed to help households lower their energy bills. The regulation, announced by DESNZ, will apply to hydronic heat pumps, hybrid systems and other electric heating devices up to 45kW. These appliances must be sold ‘smart-ready’, meaning they can be set to automatically operate when electricity is cheapest, typically during off-peak hours or periods of high renewable generation. The smart function will be optional for users to activate, but available on


all compliant models. Government analysis suggests that households using a heat pump on a time-of-use tariff could save around £100 a year compared with a standard gas boiler. The new standards will also require smart heat pumps to work across


all energy suppliers, preventing appliances from being locked to a single tariff or provider. This is intended to increase consumer choice and make switching energy companies easier, encouraging competition and potentially further savings. The measures are part of the government’s broader Clean Power Action


Plan, which aims to improve flexibility in the energy system by encouraging the use of electricity at times when demand is low, but a start date for the new regulation has yet to be confirmed. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/525/19


in installations compared with March last year, with significant growth in solar panels, heat pumps and battery storage systems. Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels accounted for the majority, with 22,599 systems installed last month – up 49% on the same period last year and 18% higher than in February. This brings the total number of certified solar PV installations in the UK to more than 1.7 million. Battery storage also saw a new


monthly record, with nearly 3,000 systems certified. This marks a 147% rise compared with March 2024 and breaks the previous monthly record. The cumulative number of certified battery storage


installations has now exceeded 33,000.


Heat pump uptake continued its


steady rise, with 5,604 certified installations in March – a 22% increase from the same month last year. The increase comes amid ongoing efforts to encourage the use of low-carbon heating solutions, including the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). Last month also saw the number of applications for BUS exceed 4,000 for the first time. “It’s great to see that the


number of people adopting low-carbon alternatives is continuing to grow month on month, a positive step towards helping the UK achieve its net zero targets,” says Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS. “With this growth, it is


crucial to focus on ‘delivered quality’ to ensure consumers have growing confidence when investing in home-grown energy. This is what the redeveloped MCS will achieve, putting consumer protection at the heart of what we do.” MCS operates the UK’s official


certification scheme for small- scale renewables and publishes data through its MCS Data Dashboard, which tracks installations nationwide. For near-real-time updates on renewable installations, you can sign up for free to the MCS Data Dashboard by using the online readerlink below. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/525/20


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