Scotland on track for record number of heat pump installations in 2024

Scotland is on track to install a record number of heat pump installations in 2024 as “growing numbers” of home owners take advantage of the technology, an industry body has said.

According to figures published by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), over 5,000 MCS-certified heat pumps have already been installed in Scotland in 2024.

MCS, the standard-setting body for low-carbon energy products, said this was 34% more than was installed in the same period last year.

Ian Rippin, MCS chief executive, said: “Our data shows that an increasing number of homeowners across Scotland are investing in heat pumps, which are one of the most efficient and sustainable heating solutions for homes and form a vital part of Scotland’s plans to achieve net zero by 2045

“Government incentives such as the HES (Home Energy Scotland) grant and loan make the switch to greener, cleaner energy more accessible and affordable, while ensuring the quality of renewable installations.

“These MCS results show that with the right support through subsidies and regulation, people can have the confidence they need to switch to cleaner and greener forms of heating.”

The HES Grant and Loan offer £7,500 towards the installation of a heat pump, with eligible households in rural areas receiving up to £9,000.

The news was welcomed by conservationists, with Claire Daly, head of policy and advocacy at WWF Scotland, describing the figures as “very encouraging”.

She continued: “We are particularly pleased that areas currently experiencing high levels of fuel poverty, such as rural areas and islands in Scotland, are switching to renewable heating.

“One in three Scottish households are currently in fuel poverty and our reliance on fossil fuel heating is causing harmful carbon pollution.

“The recently announced Building Heating Act should help accelerate the transition to cleaner heating, which will free households from volatile fossil fuel prices and make full use of our increasingly cheaper renewable energy sources.

“These MCS results show that with the right support through subsidies and regulation, people can have the confidence they need to switch to cleaner and greener forms of heating.”

According to MCS, 9% of Scottish households now have an MCS-certified “renewable installation”, which includes heat pumps, solar panels and batteries.

Installation rates vary by country: Na h-Eileanan Siar has the highest, with over a fifth (20.5%) of all households having a renewable installation, followed by Orkney (14.7%) and Argyll and Bute (8 .8%).

MCS said that in total, more than 23,000 new renewable energy installations have come online in Scotland in 2024 so far.

MCS, the UK quality mark for small-scale renewable energy installations, provides details of every MCS-certified installation in the UK since 2008.