The UK is lagging far behind its European neighbours for installers working on heat pumps and solar panels, according to a European-wide study.
The new report follows the government’s recent additions to the Future Homes Standard, which aims to ensure that the majority of new build homes in England will be fitted with solar panels and efficient, low carbon heating, such as heat pumps, to keep household energy bills low.
The study found a sharp 10% drop between Q4 2024 and Q1 2025 in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) installers working on heat pumps, from 60% to 50%. This trend is seemingly fuelled by a shortage of skills, with just half (49%) of UK installers able to fit heat pumps, compared to 83% of their German counterparts.
It was commissioned by Wavin, who has launched a new installer network, helping professional installers and developers deliver energy-efficient and lower-carbon homes with the introduction of Future Homes Standard. The manufacturer provides practical and technical support for underfloor heating, ventilation with heat recovery, and heat interface units.
Wavin’s European Installer Tracker, which includes hundreds of installers across six European countries, also found that the UK is falling behind the rest of the continent on projects which include sustainability measures.
For installation projects in 2025, only 27% of UK customers are likely to consider sustainability a leading priority when compared with Europe’s leading nation, the Netherlands, which stands at 55%.[1]
The new findings come amidst a sharp decline between 2023 (38%) and 2025 (27%) of customers who view sustainability as a leading priority. This is during a period where consumers have been largely concerned with navigating the cost-of-living crisis. [2]
The tracker also found that nearly a half (43%) of UK installers are not up to date with the latest environmental legislation, with only 6% of UK customers actively requesting more sustainable energy solutions as part of their installations.[3]
Martyn Neil, Business Development Director for Wavin, commented on the recent findings: “Installers are at the frontline of delivering sustainable projects and will continue to be key to achieving net zero in the construction industry.
“To meet government targets on heat pumps and solar panels, the planning and investments the industry have made, have created the conditions that will generate the scale required to match the targets.
“Whilst this new report shows the UK has taken time to get going, the Future Homes Standard will see the UK surge to the top of the leaderboard in just a matter of years. This means a wave of new customers for installers, all seeking solutions which will cut energy bills in the long run.
“Wavin are ready to supply the housebuilders with the solutions required to meet Future Homes Standards. Working with our installer network, we can ensure developers are equipped with the latest knowledge and technology. Installers can support their customers through the process of becoming carbon neutral, by demonstrating that investments in heat pump technologies can deliver lower heating bills for consumers.”
For more information on Wavin Installer Network and European Installer Tracker, please visit: https://wavin.com/gb
