UK passes 250,000 certified heat pump installations
The Urban Forecast
The UK has crossed 250,000 certified heat pump installations under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. The momentum is real, but so is the dependence on government grants.
MCS confirmed in February 2026 that the UK had passed 250,000 certified heat pump installations since records began in 2009. The figure covers every installation signed off under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme and marks a genuine milestone for the country's heat decarbonisation effort.
2025 was the strongest year yet. A total of 51,886 retrofit heat pumps were certified, a 7% rise on 2024's 48,677. The first quarter of 2025 set a new Q1 record with 15,758 installations certified in just three months.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme played a significant role: the government's grant programme funded 43% of all certified installations in 2025. That proportion tells its own story. The market is growing, but it is not yet growing under its own weight.
The run-rate still falls well short of what the UK's heat decarbonisation ambitions require. Getting to a quarter of a million took sixteen years. The pace will need to accelerate sharply if low-carbon heating is to reach anything close to scale before the next decade is out.
For installers and manufacturers, the record figures offer real encouragement. For policymakers, they underline how much the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is carrying the market and how fragile progress becomes if grant support wavers.