DESNZ Heat Pump Deployment Statistics do not show the full picture

Commenting on DESNZ’s Q1 Heat Pump Deployment statistics, Charlotte Lee, Chief Executive of the Heat Pump Association UK, said:

“Whilst today’s statistics show an 18% decrease in domestic retrofit heat pump deployment between Q4 2025 and Q1 2026, this is not the full picture.

HPA UK data shows heat pump sales for heating buildings in Q1 2026 remained static compared to Q4 2025 and grew 5% compared to Q1 2025. When including domestic hot water heat pumps in this figure, sales increased by 17% comparing Q1 2025 to Q1 2026.

Growth outside the domestic retrofit market has been driven by sales into new build following confirmation of the Future Homes and Buildings Standard. Installations in new build properties were 38% higher in Q1 2026 than Q1 2025, with the share of heat pump sales going into new builds rising from 55% to 61% between Q4 2025 and Q1 2026.

The closure of the Energy Company Obligation and slower deployment of heat pumps through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund are directly impacting the domestic retrofit market.

To maintain confidence, support investment and ensure heat pumps remain accessible to all, Government must urgently clarify future support for low-income households and introduce the zero/low-interest consumer loans promised in the Warm Homes Plan.”

See the DESNZ statistics here.

Notes to Editors:

HPA UK report heat pumps sold, whilst DESNZ reported heat pumps installed (retrofit and domestic only). The main difference should be accounted for by:

• Definitional differences: HPA UK are counting sales and the DESNZ statistics count installations. There will be an inevitable lag between a sale taking place and it being installed in a property. Given that installations are on a general upward trend, we would expect that the number of sales will always be higher than the number of installations, as production and sales prepare for future (growing) demand.
• Technologies in scope: The DESNZ statistics only include air source and ground source heat pumps at the moment. The HPA UK estimates include some other technologies, such as heat pumps used for hot water only, which are not included in the DESNZ statistics. Removing the numbers in the ‘Other heat pumps’ and ‘DHWP’ categories brings them to be more comparable to the DESNZ figures (an adjustment of ~19k in 2025).
• Property types: the DESNZ installation statistics do not include installations in new-builds or non-domestic properties, which will be included in the HPA UK numbers. New-builds will represent the biggest part of the difference between the HPA UK and DESNZ numbers.

HPA UK statistics are gathered through a combination of utilising data provided directly by HPA UK manufacturing members and using market estimation techniques to extrapolate the data to represent the full UK Heat Pump market.

This data includes factory gate sales of Air-to-Water (A2W) monobloc units, Air-to-Water (A2W) split units, Ground and Water Source units, domestic hot water heat pumps (DHWHP) and “other”- which includes, Exhaust Air Heat Pumps and Integrated Hybrid Heat Pumps. It does not include air to air heat pumps and therefore makes it incomparable to many EU data sources.

More information on HPA UK statistics is accessible here.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Olivia Smalley

Head of Policy and Communications

Email: Olivia.smalley@thehpa.org.uk

About the Heat Pump Association UK:
HPA UK is the UK’s dedicated voice for the Heat Pump Sector, driving widespread deployment of heat pump technology throughout the UK. Our membership includes the country’s leading manufacturers of heat pumps, components, and associated equipment as well as energy companies, certification bodies, installers and training providers. We currently represent over 400 member organisations working in the heat pump sector, with our members representing around 90% of the volume of heat pumps sold in the UK market.