UK heat pump sector marks 30 years with push for accelerated deployment and industry collaboration
The Heat Pump Association (HPA) used its 30th anniversary celebration on 26 November to position the UK sector for a step-change in deployment, skills and consumer confidence as part of the electrification of heat. According to the original report presented at the association’s Annual General Meeting, the inaugural conference at the British Library in London combined policy makers, industry leaders and suppliers to review three decades of progress and set priorities for the year ahead.
Under the banner “Heat Pumps: How to go further, faster…”, sessions concentrated on practical interventions to scale installation rates and strengthen the supply chain. The conference programme, the HPA said, emphasised delivery mechanisms such as the new MCS installer scheme and the role of heat networks in meeting diverse local needs, alongside workforce development to tackle bottlenecks in rollout.
Government engagement was framed as central to market confidence. A video address from the Minister for Energy Consumers, Martin McCluskey MP, reiterated the government’s commitment to low‑carbon heating technologies and stressed industry collaboration as essential to a successful transition. Delegates discussed implications of the Autumn Budget for household energy costs and incentives, with policy clarity repeatedly cited as a condition for sustained private investment.
Industry speakers placed the UK outlook in a wider European context. Paul Kenny, Director General at the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA), and other panellists referenced rapid recent growth across Europe that has reshaped market expectations. EHPA market reporting shows a surge in heat pump uptake , with multi‑million annual additions and a substantial cumulative installed base , and argues that such momentum is already delivering sizeable greenhouse‑gas reductions and energy security benefits.
Manufacturers and suppliers at the event highlighted both opportunity and the need for further industrial commitment. Industry data presented alongside the conference narrative points to strong growth in hydronic and air‑to‑water heat pump segments, and manufacturers have signalled increased investment to meet rising demand; one major supplier has forecast large increases in European production capacity through the end of the decade to respond to market growth.
A concluding panel, bringing together representatives from the Climate Change Committee, Nesta, HPA installers and government (DESNZ), debated routes to build supply‑chain momentum. Panellists discussed coordinated approaches , combining policy levers, consumer protection and skills training , as the likeliest way to reduce hesitancy and lift deployment rates in the near term. The HPA’s AGM report, the association said, will reflect these priorities in its work plan.
The day closed with networking and recognition of long service: HPA Chair Mark Wilkins gave closing remarks and former chair Craig Dolan received an Exceptional Member Contribution award. According to the HPA, chief executive Charlotte Lee praised the gathering as evidence of the sector’s shared ambition to innovate and collaborate for a sustainable energy future. Industry figures in attendance underlined the conference’s role in aligning manufacturers, installers and policymakers behind a common delivery agenda