UK heat pump sales reached a record high in 2025, with more than 125,000 units sold, marking another year of strong growth for the low-carbon heating sector.
New figures from the Heat Pump Association (HPA) show the market grew by 27% year on year, with more than a third of units now manufactured in the UK.
However, analysis of the data suggests that at the current pace, only around one in 20 UK homes will have a heat pump installed by 2030, with calls growing for the government to press ahead with long-awaited building standards and energy policies.
Record sales, but a long road ahead for homes
HPA data shows 125,037 heat pumps were sold in the UK in 2025, including more than 110,000 hydronic systems, as all major heat pump technologies recorded growth.
Air-source heat pump sales rose by 26%, ground- and water-source heat pumps by 32%, and domestic hot water heat pumps by 36% compared to 2024.
Despite the record year, the rate of growth slowed compared with the 56% surge seen in 2024. If annual sales continue to grow at around the current rate, the UK is on track to install roughly 1.5 million additional heat pumps between now and 2030, equivalent to around 5% of the UK’s 28 million homes.
Falling short of the Government’s 2030 target
The Government’s Warm Homes Plan sets an ambition of installing 450,000 heat pumps per year by 2030, a level that industry analysis suggests requires sustained annual growth of around 33%.
Current trends fall short of that trajectory, leaving annual installations closer to 400,000 by the end of the decade unless growth accelerates.
The gap matters because heat pumps are central to decarbonising home heating and reducing reliance on imported gas.
HPA analysis estimates that aligning deployment with the Carbon Budget Growth and Delivery Plan could add £14 billion to UK gross value added this decade and cut gas imports by up to 62% by 2035.
How growth could accelerate
Industry leaders say stronger policy signals are now needed to turn steady growth into mass adoption.
Charlotte Lee, Chief Executive of HPA UK, said heat pumps remain “a pivotal technology to decarbonise heat in the UK” but warned that momentum must be maintained to meet Government targets.
She called for the urgent publication of the Future Homes Standard and reforms to rebalance electricity and gas prices, adding that both are needed to “unlock the main barriers to accelerate heat pump deployment”.
Paul Kenny, Director General of the European Heat Pump Association, echoed those concerns, arguing that while the Warm Homes Plan provides a strong framework, the UK must address the tax imbalance between electricity and gas to ensure heat pumps are the most cost-effective choice for households.
Paul Kenny has extensive experience in clean heating policy, market development, and EU energy transition initiatives, advocating for measures that accelerate heat pump adoption and improve energy efficiency.
Charlotte Lee is Chief Executive of the Heat Pump Association UK, the trade body representing the UK’s heat pump sector. With extensive experience in low-carbon heating policy and industry advocacy, she leads efforts to accelerate the adoption of heat pumps across homes.
