More than half of installers lack the confidence or training to carry out heat pump installations, according to research by Wolseley, which is calling for better support to help installers move from training to their first job.
A survey of 1,320 installers and 2,000 homeowners across the UK found that 52% of installers lacked confidence or felt insufficiently trained to carry out installations.
A third also identified a lack of practical learning as a major barrier, a concern echoed in industry interviews and expert input.
Wolseley, which is sponsoring this week’s National Heat Pump Week (12th October to 16th October 2026), is investing in support to help installers put their training into practice. The move follows government research into Heat Training Grant recipients, which found that only 27% had gone on to install a heat pump the following year.
Dan Marsden, director of renewables at Wolseley, says:
“Installers and consumers are at the heart of the heat pump journey. We need a skilled installer base that are confident in delivering quality installations. Many skilled installers are out there; it’s our job to support them throughout the transition to renewables. Doing nothing is not an option and Wolseley recognises its responsibility to lead.”
Wolseley set up its Renewables Centre in 2025 in partnership with NAPIT. It runs five accredited courses across nine UK locations, with the aim of training 5,000 new installers by 2030.
It also delivers the Nesta-backed Start at Home scheme, powered by RES, a Wolseley business. The scheme offers installers free training, up to £9,000 in materials, depending on the property, and access to a free MCS umbrella scheme to install a heat pump in their own home.
Nesta’s pilot found that confidence increased alongside technical knowledge, while living with a heat pump helped installers give customers more credible advice.
Kerri Perks, director of sales and operations at Wolseley, adds:
“The course isn’t the hard part, the first job is. You’ve got the heat loss calculations to do, the design, the certification and a customer stood in front of you asking things nobody’s ever asked you before. Do that on your own and it’s daunting. Do it with an expert alongside you and gain a huge amount of confidence for your next job.”
Wolseley is also calling on the government to set out a long-term policy timeline through the Warm Homes Plan and extend training grant support across the UK.
Its research estimates that the heat pump workforce will need to reach 154,000 by 2035 to meet the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation of 1.5 million installations a year. However, the projected shortfall is more than 44,000 installers, with the largest regional gaps in Lancashire, Greater Manchester and London.
Kerri Perks continues:
“I’ve been working with installers on this for five years and the desire is definitely there. It’s the step from passing the course to doing the job that people get stuck on, and that’s the bit we should be fixing.”
Perks will discuss how to drive heat pump adoption in the UK at the Big Debate panel during National Heat Pump Week at 15:00 on Thursday 15 October. The session is free to attend at crowdcast.io/c/nhpw-151026-1500.
