How can I train to be a heat pump installer?

Demand for greener and more energy-efficient home heating alternatives is on the up. Not only because of increasing awareness of climate change, but because the government aims to ban the fitting of new gas boilers in new-build homes by 2025, and all sales of gas boilers from 2035, as part of their net zero strategy. 

Heat pumps are currently the front-runner to replace gas boilers and other carbon-intensive home-heating systems. Not only do they not emit any carbon dioxide, they’re also highly efficient - for every unit of energy put in, you get around three units of heat out. 

Why now is the time to train as a heat pump installer 

Now is certainly an opportune moment for heating engineers to consider training to become a heat pump installer. 

The Climate Change Committee has set a target of 600,000 heat pump installations per year by 2028. In 2022, there were only 60,000 installed. At the current rate of installation, it would take over 400 years for every one of today’s existing homes to be fitted - not counting the new homes that would be built in the meantime. 

The missing link? A bigger workforce - and a grand opportunity for traders to upskill. There are only 400 trained heat pump installers today in the UK, but estimates suggest the UK will need 38,000 by 2028 to reach anywhere near those set targets. 

‘This is a great time to specialise in energy-saving products and net zero issues,’ says Kevin Wellman of The Chartered Institute Of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE). ‘Helping to reduce everyone’s carbon footprint has got to be a great positive. 

‘There are some jobs that are here today, gone tomorrow, but a vocation in the plumbing and heating industry can be a job for life,’ he continues. ‘I realise that universities do have a place, but apprenticeships have been undervalued for far too long. You can’t change the world today - we need the infrastructure to support the efforts.’

‘There is a fundamental need for net zero-related re-skilling and re-training across the industry and this should be a government priority,’ says Frank Gordon at The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA). ‘Steps are already underway to re-train North Sea oil and gas workers in renewables, and this should go further with more funding and training places made available.

What training route should I take?

There are various pathways to training to be a heat pump installer. The training required for an existing gas boiler engineer to transition into fitting heat pumps can vary depending on several factors, including the engineer's existing knowledge, skills and the specific requirements of heat pump installation. 

Here’s a three-step pathway to heat pump installation training, provided by the Heat Pump Association (HPA):

1. Heating installers can gain the knowledge they need to install a heat pump by taking a two-day Level 3, Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (OFQUAL) regulated Heat Pump Foundation Course, which provides an overview of heat pumps, installation guidelines, commissioning, servicing and end-user handover. 

2. Following successful completion of the Heat Pump Foundation Course, installers can then gain a deeper understanding of each type of heat pump technology through an additional one-day course offered in air-source and ground-source heat pumps, including hybrids. 

3. Installers may also want to complete the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) low-temperature qualification which aims to upskill heating engineers to design and install low-temperature heating and hot water systems, which use less energy and can be used with heat pumps.

'CIPHE created a low temperature hot water systems design course for qualified installers who just need to have the understanding and underpinning knowledge of the design of such systems,' says Kevin of CIPHE. 

'The lower temp side of heat pumps is a different phenomenon for installers and designers to grasp. I am advising that this qualification be made available to any qualified, experienced installer regardless of their affiliation to CIPHE, because in order to resolve this problem of shortage of skilled people, we need as many people upskilled as possible.'

'Our net zero training academy in Kingswinford trains our existing colleagues, who have previous experience and expertise in metering, electrical installations, or gas, with the skills needed to install sustainable technologies such as heat pumps, solar panels, smart meters and electric vehicle chargers,’ says Chris Lovatt of E.ON. 

‘The training format and duration depends on the technology; for example, our heat pump training lasts for a minimum of six weeks, with classroom sessions and practical hands-on experience.'

Further advice

‘This is a fast-moving area and we recommend energy traders sign up to an accredited consumer protection scheme, like the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC),’ adds Frank of REA. ‘This will keep their training up to date and follow the latest industry developments and changes in legislation and technical requirements.’