This project, in partnership with the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers' Federation (SNIPEF), piloted a practical solution to bridge the gap between training and real-world installation – a common barrier in the industry – by allowing newly trained installers to fit an air source heat pump in their own home. This provided them with practical experience in a low-risk environment, helping them become more confident and competent when entering the retrofit heat pump market. Our report shows the findings of this project.

Decarbonising home heating is a key priority in the UK’s strategy to cut emissions, and heat pumps are expected to play a pivotal role. The UK government and the Climate Change Committee have both emphasised that large-scale deployment will be essential to meeting the country’s net-zero target.

To achieve this, the UK needs a confident and competent workforce. While the number of heating professionals completing heat pump training is growing, over 9,000 in 2024, many still face a significant barrier: the transition from training to real-world installation.

The Start at Home project addresses this gap. Offering newly trained installers the opportunity to fit an air source heat pump in their own home not only reinforces technical skills but also builds confidence, fosters long-term engagement with the technology, and enhances credibility with customers.

• Hands-on home installation boosted installers’ confidence and technical knowledge. After installing a heat pump in their own home, all participants reported increased confidence and deeper technical understanding, particularly in areas such as system design, heat loss calculation, and commissioning.
  
• Day-to-day use at home increased understanding of heat pump systems. Living with the system provided valuable opportunities for continuous learning. Because of this, participants could monitor performance, optimise efficiency, and gain insights into user experience – knowledge they can apply and share with their customers.
  
• Home installations and umbrella organisations supported paths to MCS certification. Around half of the participants who installed a heat pump system at home are exploring gaining their own certification. For these installers, the home installation will serve as credible evidence of their technical competency.
  
• Lived experience led to greater confidence in promoting heat pumps to customers. Lived experience with a heat pump strengthened participants’ ability to promote the technology. Installers reported greater confidence when discussing heat pumps with customers, backed by first-hand insights and added credibility.

As the results of our pilot project were so positive, we’d like other organisations to launch and run their own Start at Home schemes, so as many engineers as possible across the UK can be supported with the transition to low-carbon heating.

We’ll be talking to a range of organisations, from manufacturers and MCS umbrella schemes to trade associations and local initiatives, to support them with launching Start at Home schemes of their own.

We’ll also be helping scheme providers with promoting their Start at Home offers. We’ll be listing all available schemes on our Start at Home website and promoting it to heating engineers across the UK, helping them find a route into heat pump installations that’s right for them.

We’ll also be evaluating the impact of these independently administered schemes, so that we can build on the results of our pilot.

If you’d like to talk to us about running a Start at Home scheme, please contact us at [email protected].