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Over sixty locations in England will offer heating engineers £500 off the cost of becoming certified heat pump installers.

A new government competition for training providers to compete for £500 subsidies to train up to 4,000 new heat network installers is also now open.

Up to 3,000 green employees in heat pump manufacturing will be supported.

Through the government’s £5 million Heat Training Grant, heating engineers can now receive £500 for training to become certified heat pump installers. 

To scale up heat pump installations, support the Prime Minister’s priority, and develop the economy, over 60 approved training centres in England will provide over 6,000 heating engineers with the necessary skills to qualify as heat pump engineers. A considerable discount will support this to make training even more accessible. 

Opening today (July 4 2023), the scheme will provide £500 off the cost of training per individual, which typically costs around £600 – meaning the government will cover the overwhelming majority. 

The only requirements for applicants are to enrol in the training through their preferred provider and verify their eligibility for the grant. 

Thousands of trainees will receive the practical training necessary to join a professional installer certification scheme; all training will be rigorously evaluated and designed to reach the highest standards required for professional certification. In addition, the Heat Training Grant Competition for heat networks is now open for training providers to submit proposals for £500 discounts to training up to 4,000 new heat network professionals. 

The Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, Lord Callanan, stated: “Heat pumps and heat networks are crucial technologies for decarbonising heat, and they play a significant role in the nation’s effort to reach net zero.” “In anticipation of a rise in consumer demand in the future years, we have committed to assisting the industry in producing our heat pumps, and we will need thousands of additional skilled installers.” “This grant will not only provide a significant boost to the deployment of heat pumps and heat networks, but it will also assist in developing a skilled workforce that will enjoy the benefits of joining a thriving installer market.”

In addition to the grant, it is anticipated that heating manufacturers, including Baxi, Ideal Heating, NIBE, Vaillant, and Worcester Bosch, will offer additional discounts and incentives to apprentices. These benefits could be worth up to an additional £500 in product vouchers, additional training, and other support, enabling learners to apply their newly acquired skills. 

In addition, the government is urging training providers across England to help cultivate a new generation of heat network engineers by teaching them how to install and maintain these systems. 

Before August 8, 2023, interested providers are encouraged to submit applications through the newly launched Heat Training Grant Competition on GOV.UK so that assistance is available in more regions of the country.  Thousands of additional engineers, installers, and operators will be required to learn how to install and maintain heat networks as the number of heat networks in England continues to rise and is anticipated to rise further. 

Trainees can expect to learn everything from the feasibility and design of heat networks to their construction, operation, and maintenance.  

Charlotte Lee, chief executive officer of the Heat Pump Association, stated: “We are delighted to see training providers from across the country, including HPA members, included in the first funding round of the Heat Training Grant. Creating a large pool of highly competent heat pump installers is a top priority for the Association and its members to expand the heat pump market in the United Kingdom.”

“Heat pumps are essential to decarbonising residential heating and attaining the government’s net-zero goals. We encourage heating engineers to utilise the Heat Training Grant to expand their skill set and future-proof their businesses in preparation for the exponential growth required to meet the government’s goal of installing 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028.”

Manufacturers have also welcomed the introduction of the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition to applications. 

This funding will assist in enhancing our capability and capacity to manufacture heat pumps and key components in the United Kingdom, thereby creating new employment and ensuring we remain at the forefront of innovation in manufacturing.

The Heat Pump, Investment Accelerator Competition, is also commencing today, offering £30 million to build new factories or expand existing ones and to retool and rework factories that produce heat pumps and heat pump components as plans to scale up their deployment accelerate. 

The competition is open throughout the United Kingdom, and enterprises can compete for a maximum of £15 million (€15 million in Northern Ireland) per scheme.  The competition aims to have up to 270,000 heat pumps or components manufactured annually in the United Kingdom by 2028, creating up to 3,000 employment and generating up to £270 million in private sector investment into the domestic heat pump supply chain. 

Director of Technology and Training at Vaillant, Mark Wilkins, stated:  “We appreciate the Heat Training Grant and are pleased to offer additional training or support for this important initiative. The availability of many skilled installers is one of the greatest obstacles to a swiftly expanding heat pump market, and this funding initiative is essential to achieving the United Kingdom’s decarbonisation targets.”

Heat exchangers are crucial for reducing carbon emissions using renewable energy produced in the United Kingdom that is less expensive. The government are committed to installing 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028, an increase of tenfold from 2021. 

With the extension of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme until 2028 and the elimination of VAT, installing a heat pump is now more affordable than ever.

With low-cost offers from energy suppliers and government grants, consumers can now purchase a heat pump at a price comparable to that of a gas furnace. 

The managing director of NIBE Energy Systems, Phil Hurley, stated: “We are thrilled to be a recognised training provider eligible for the Heat Training Grant. Installers will be at the centre of our transition to low-carbon heating, and we are thrilled to be at the vanguard of providing our NIBE Pro members with world-class heat pump training. By providing our streamlined, fully supported training support programme at an even lower cost, we can contribute to developing a highly-skilled, future-ready workforce.”

The Heat Training Grant provides eligible heating engineers with comprehensive information on where to apply for the grant and a list of approved training centres and courses. 

Typically, training will last at least three days, though it may be longer, contingent on the trainee’s prior skills and experience. 

Organisations can apply for funding to enhance their manufacturing facilities.