UK’s first boiler upgrade scheme heat pump installed by British Gas

01 April 2022

Tech & Innovation

Jennifer Plews

British Gas and Daikin has successfully installed the first MCS certified heat pump in the country that is being part-funded by the government’s new Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

The install was completed at the home of a British Gas customer in Hungerford. The system will be commissioned at 00.01am Friday 1^st April – making the household the first in the UK to receive a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant of £5,000 towards the upfront cost. It is also the first heat pump to be installed with a Mixergy smart hot water cylinder.

British Gas and Daikin have recently formed a new partnership designed to increase take-up of renewable home heating technology, underpinning a commitment from Centrica to install as many as 1,000 air source heat pumps this year in the UK. By 2025 the aim is to install up to 20,000 per year. Centrica (under the PH Jones brand) is also installing hundreds of heat pumps per year into social housing.

Heat pump technology is widely recognised as the best immediate option for millions of off-grid, well-insulated homes, and is critical to keeping the UK on track to achieve net zero by 2050.

"This is a landmark moment for the renewable heating market in the UK, as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme funding makes heat pumps more accessible to more homeowners. Installing a heat pump is one of the single best things households can do to lower their carbon footprint, today. We understand that everyone’s homes and individual circumstances differ, but for those who can, now is the time to look at renewable home heating."

Jana Siber, Managing Director, British Gas

Henk van den Berg, Strategic Business Manager – Heating & Renewables at Daikin UK, added: “Daikin has been installing heat pumps in the UK since 2005 and uses the latest and most efficient technology. It’s vital that those making the swich to heat pumps have an excellent experience – during the installation and in the weeks, months and years that follow. Then they can spread the word and encourage others to follow suit.

“That’s why we’re so pleased the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is being kickstarted with a quality, tried and tested Daikin system – installed by experts we’ve trained at British Gas. We hope that more households who are in the position to upgrade their boiler to a heat pump will now do just that – benefiting from a £5,000 grant and the recently-announced removal of VAT.”

Installers can open Boiler Upgrade Scheme accounts from 11^th April and the scheme officially goes live on 23^rd May – but it is open to retrospective claims from suppliers for any installs commissioned from 1^st April onwards. All British Gas heat pump installs are now eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme as well as the Government’s recently announced 0% VAT.

NOTES

About British Gas
British Gas is Britain’s leading supplier of energy and services and the country’s biggest retailer of zero carbon electricity. We are part of Centrica, a company founded on a 200-year heritage of serving people. We provide energy and services to over 7 million UK homes and businesses, supported by around 7,500 highly trained engineers and technicians. We also offer a range of innovative products and services, including Hive and our on-demand digital trades service, Local Heroes. Our purpose of helping customers live sustainably, simply and affordably drives our strategy and our People and Planet Plan.

About Daikin
Daikin UK is an eco-heating technology brand leading the industry in providing innovative indoor climate management solutions, such as heat pumps, to reduce environmental impact. As part of the global Daikin Group and with over 90 years of experience, Daikin has built a worldwide reputation for quality and technology, developing heating solutions that create comfortable and sustainable interior environments for everyone. In 2020, Daikin launched its Energy for Change campaign, which aims to educate consumers on the benefits of heat pumps and promote their installation – helping the UK move to a more sustainable future.    As part of its Energy for Change campaign, Daikin has created the Sustainable Home Network to provide top quality, free heat pump training to installers across the UK, helping them futureproof their businesses and support the UK’s transition towards green energy.  Additional information on Daikin’s pioneering technology can be found on its website, alongside details on why choosing a heat pump could help reduce UK homes’ carbon emissions: www.daikin.co.uk.