PHAM NEWS | OCTOBER 2024 6 News Review New installer skills survey


The third in a yearly series of installer opinion surveys has been published by Baxi which focuses on the attitudes of heating engineers towards heat pumps and other low carbon heating solutions.


The 2024 Installer Skills Survey,


conducted in partnership with green supply chain consultancy Gemserv, examines the appetite and confidence of heating engineers to support households in their transition to clean heat technologies. It also reflects the future pace of change in the installer community and provides a good indicator of their readiness to adopt and promote heat pumps in the context of evolving government policies and consumer demands.


Over 300 installers took part in the survey which was conducted in August this year. Although this year’s survey


reveals more positive sentiment towards heat pumps compared to


the first edition in 2022, it’s clear that many installers still lack the training, knowledge and incentive to help homeowners begin their transition away from gas boilers.


Lack of commitment Just 9% of installers say they are fitting heat pumps (up from 3% in 2022 and 7% in 2023). Sentiment towards heat pump installation in the future looks weak, with half of installers saying they are ‘somewhat’ or ‘extremely’ unlikely to start fitting heat pumps in the next three years. This compares


to 46% in 2022 and even less


confidence (53%) in 2023. There is more enthusiasm for hybrid systems – where a heat pump is combined with a gas boiler – with


30% of installers expressing an interest.


Government schemes, such


as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), are met with frustration in the survey, due to perceived complexity, excessive paperwork and lack of consumer awareness.


Only 9% of installers rate government schemes as ‘good’ or


‘excellent’ and 42% say customers never mention the BUS. A lack of confidence to promote


and install low-carbon heating technologies has been a feature of the Installer Skills Survey since it began in 2022. This year, there is a slight improvement, with 11% of installers saying they are ‘extremely confident’ in discussing low-carbon technologies (up from 7% in 2023) and 35% ‘moderately confident’. A recurring theme in all three surveys has been a generational divide among installers, with those nearing retirement less inclined to invest in training.


Without strong consumer


interest, installers continue to feel hesitant about making the transition to low-carbon heating, including investing in training. In the 2024 survey, only 3% of installers say customers always ask about low-carbon heating. Commenting on the survey, Ian


Trott, Baxi’s head of UK training, says: “While the 2024 survey shows some positive developments, particularly regarding hybrid systems, many of the challenges highlighted by previous surveys, such as insufficient training, poor government support and low consumer demand, haven’t moved on. The transition to low- carbon heating will require more targeted interventions to support installers in overcoming these barriers.”


The Heat Pump Association (HPA) has published an update to its UK heat pump sales data, now featuring a breakdown by heat pump type for the first time. The newly segmented data provides insight into factory-gate sales of air-to-water monobloc units, air-to-water split units, ground and water source units, and ‘other’ – which includes domestic hot water heat pumps, exhaust air heat pumps and integrated hybrid heat pumps. Dating back to 2019, the data


reveals a steady growth of all types of heat pumps between 2019 and 2022 and the dominance of air-to-water monobloc units in the UK market.


The HPA says that the new data marks a step forward in the detail and accuracy of its online statistics resource, launched


Find Ideal’s 5 millionth Logic boiler


Installers are being invited to take part in a prize-winning celebration as Ideal Heating marks the manufacture of its five millionth Logic boiler.


First launched 15 years ago, the Logic boiler has proved to be a big success for the company, with evolutions including the Logic+, a compact unit which fits easily into any standard kitchen cupboard, and Logic Max which features the same compact design with high performance and high efficiency. The five millionth model to roll off


the production line at Ideal Heating’s Hull factory will feature a special


commemorative gold label. The installer who finds the boiler will receive it for free. Head of marketing Luke Pykett comments: “We’re celebrating five million Logic boilers with the installers who have played a huge role in making Logic the household name it has become today. As a UK manufacturer, we’re incredibly


proud to have achieved such a significant milestone for our Logic range. It’s become a huge success story and a symbol of our status as the UK’s heating market leader.” Use the online enquiry link below


to find out more about Ideal’s five million Logic boiler celebration, including its Heat and Greet tour. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/1024/04


Data shows UK heat


pump sales by type


in April this year, reflecting the Association’s ongoing commitment to providing valuable information to the sector to support growth in the market. It is hoped that the more detailed data will help to ensure that future policies align with the specific needs and growth patterns of different heat pump technologies. “As we work to accelerate


the deployment of heat pumps across the UK, it’s vital to gain a deeper understanding of the UK heat pump market,” says


Olivia Smalley, head of policy and communications at the HPA. “Providing this level of detail is a significant step towards greater transparency in the industry. Our members and stakeholders now have access to enhanced information to help them make more informed decisions, and this data will be vital in shaping targeted policies that drive growth and innovation across all heat pump technologies.” The statistics will be updated


annually to reflect market trends. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/1024/03


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