Over half of UK builders unable to advise on heat pumps due to a lack of knowledge

• 43% of Brits plan to renovate their home this year, with 75% wanting to choose sustainable options
• With green renovations on the rise, half of UK builders (56%) admit they don’t have the knowledge to advise on heat pumps
• Builders are more comfortable talking to customers about unexpected renovation costs (40%) and issues with building materials (46%) than heat pumps (30%)
• E.ON and architectural designer Charlie Luxton help educate the nation on heat pumps

New research¹ from energy and sustainable solutions provider E.ON reveals that 43% of Brits are planning to renovate their home this year, with three in four (75%) wanting to choose sustainable options when they upgrade.

But more than half (56%) of UK builders say they don’t have the right information to advise on heat pumps, providing a major barrier to greater adoption of this cleaner, more efficient alternative to traditional gas boilers. Heat pumps are proven to be 3 to 4 times more efficient than LPG, oil, electricity and gas boilers, reducing our reliance on gas, as well as making homes more sustainable and reducing heating costs.

In fact, more than two fifths (44%) of builders say they wouldn’t recommend a heat pump to customers simply because they’re unaware of the benefits they can provide for homeowners. This is despite increasing demand for sustainable home solutions amongst those looking to renovate their home, with 82% of builders seeing more interest from customers in sustainable renovations in the past year. 

To help build confidence and knowledge amongst builders and homeowners about the benefits of heat pumps, E.ON has teamed up with established architectural designer Charlie Luxton.

He explains: “As the nation becomes increasingly environmentally conscious, it makes sense that we’re turning our attention to sustainable home solutions and learning more about how they can benefit us in the long run.”

When it comes to the general public, three-quarters (75%) of Brits want to choose sustainable options when renovating their homes this year, yet half (50%) of the people surveyed believe heat pumps are too expensive to install – with one in ten people (11%) being unaware that grants like the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme can help those eligible to subsidise the cost of a heat pump to the tune of £7,500. 

Factors which deter Brits from buying heat pumps include the cost of installation (56%), having to change to a new heating system (28%) and lack of understanding of the benefits of heat pumps (24%). Some of the common misconceptions the general public and builders have about heat pumps include that they:

• can only be installed in modern, well insulated homes (20%)
• take long time to heat a home (16%)
• are a new and untested technology (15%)
• can only provide heating, and not hot water (15%)
• cost more to run than a gas boiler (13%)

When it comes to advising on sustainable home solutions, only a third (30%) of builders feel comfortable advising on the installation of heat pumps if asked by a customer. This is much lower than their confidence around wall and loft insulation (50%), double and triple glazed windows (43%), solar panels (42%) and energy efficient boilers (41%).

In fact, builders are more comfortable talking to customers about building materials being out of stock (46%) and unforeseen costs on a project (40%) than they are about heat pumps (30%).

To help the three-quarters (75%) of Brits who want to make sustainable changes to their home, Charlie Luxton offers the following advice:

• Heat pumps can be a sustainable affordable alternative to gas or oil boilers provided they are well designed, installed and maintained. 
• Modern heat pumps can work with most existing heating systems without the need for significant alterations to existing radiators and pipework. But check with your heat pump engineer what upgrades, if any, are needed for your property.
• If installing a heat pump, it is the perfect time to look at reducing your heating demand though insulation, draught-proofing and intelligent controls.
• The single most important thing when fitting a heat pump is the quality of the design and installation. Always use a trusted, reputable company, seek out testimonials and ensure they have the correct credentials and approvals from relevant manufacturers. 

Dr Alastair Hotchkiss, Heat Pump Product Manager at E.ON, said: “It’s great to see that three-quarters of people want to make their homes more sustainable with solutions such as heat pumps, but there are many misconceptions about the benefits they can offer.

“Heating homes accounts for 17% of UK carbon emissions² – most of which are from gas boilers. We need to make new energy work and if the UK is to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 we must reduce our reliance on gas; heat pumps are a fantastic way to do that, as well as making your home more sustainable and reducing your heating costs. Here at E.ON, we want to help increase the take-up of heat pumps and help close the knowledge gap that currently exists amongst both builders and the general public.”

E.ON is a Which? Trusted Trader for heat pump installations, with a heritage of being one of the UK's first air source heat pump installers. Through its years of experience, E.ON understands that every home is different and offers customers heating technology tailored to each individual home. To find out more about heat pumps and to learn more about the government grants available, visit eonenergy.com/air-source-heat-pumps.

Notes to editors

^{1. Research carried out on behalf of E.ON by 3Gem 2024, surveying 2,000 of the general population in the UK. This includes 1,000 adults aged 18+ working in the construction industry and 1,000 UK adults aged 18+.}

^{2. Cited from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/green-heating-consumer-protection-to-come-under-scrutiny}

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