How Gas Boiler Engineers can retrain in Heat Pumps
The heat pump market is growing and many gas boilers are reluctant to make the switch. We look at the barriers they face and how they can also be supported if they choose to switch.
With the governments aim of 800,000 heat pump installations annually by 2028 across the UK. The number of heat pump installers needs to increase to reach that demand. There are an estimated 3,000 heat pump installers which needs to raise to almost 27,000 in five years time. Reaching this goal seems like a major challenge but we a huge pool of gas boiler engineers, 130,000 of whom are registered with Gas Safe.
Interviews with existing heat pump engineers show that the demand for one is high, and growing more. They report receiving more enquiries than they are able to respond to and are having to turn down potential working related to heat pump installations. Research conducted by Nesta on the consumer demand for heat pumps show that 25% of consumers would be willing to pay the full up-front cost of a heat pump installation in current market conditions. Along with rising energy costs, climate change and more awareness of heat pumps is leading to action from consumers.
Opportunities and Retraining in Heat Pumps
With the demand for heat pumps and retrofit, we have forged partnerships with high-end training providers and colleges to provide a range of accredited courses and training opportunities. There are a range of qualifications available to top-up training sessions to cater seasoned pro’s in the field or people who are looking to begin entering the world of retrofit. We want to equip people with the knowledge and skills necessary and you can browse the available courses now.
Potential Barriers in Retraining
Nesta conducted some research on gas installers who had previously shown interest in retraining in heat pumps but made no progress in doing so. Ten installers were contacted with four agreeing to be interviewed. Even though the sample size is relatively small, there are recognised limitations from the study.
Uncertainty
The cohort’s who have been recruited and interested in heat pumps are not completely convinced by them yet. Gas Engineers worry that the technology isn’t quite right for their customers as their low-temperature operation means homeowners will have to navigate a way into using their heating differently.
The four interviewees also share the opinion that heat pump technology will evolve quickly and will replace gas boilers – making the current training they’ve been offered potentially obsolete.
The final uncertainty is the pathway to incorporating heat pumps into their work with issues with finding customers, the steps to becoming MCS certified, or which scheme to join.
To bridge the gap for finding customers, we now have our own Trade Directory which are installers and other retrofit professionals that meet our standard.
Trade DirectoryComplexity
The engineers interviewed were worried about the potential complexity of working with heat pumps. They are aware of the design element being more complex along with the installation process.
Working with heat pumps is expected to entail a higher admin heavy focus than they’re used to as well.
Time to Change
It is important that pathways are made visible that allow patinate and interested engineers to make the transition now. We want to help make the transition over to heat pumps easier for engineers with the training we have advertised, available for all skill levels.
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