Over £14 million in government funding is being made available to accelerate the installation of heat pumps and heat networks across the country, as a new scheme launches to train more installers.

Over £9.7 million of the cash will go towards specific projects based in Bristol, Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The aim of these is to help cut costs of these low carbon technologies, and reduce disruption to consumers by coordinating the wide-spread rollout in concentrated areas.

A new £5 million Heat Training Grant will also support 10,000 trainees over the next two years to become low carbon heating experts, creating new green jobs. Grants of up to £500 will go towards training, with heating manufacturers such as Panasonic, Valliant and Worcester-Bosch expected to offer additional discounts to trainees.

Lord Callanan, parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, said: “This funding will give the rollout of heat pumps a huge boost by making them cheaper and easier to install, and importantly helping more households move away from costly fossil fuels.

“But we need a skilled workforce to deliver this, so we’re training thousands of people to be experts at installing heat pumps and heat networks, driving the country’s push towards net zero.

“We’re also making sure the cost of installing a heat pump is more affordable than ever before through grants of up to £6,000 through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and a zero rate on VAT. So, it’s right we also put funding in place to train installers to meet demand.

“Heat pumps are highly efficient and reliable and are key to cutting carbon emissions using cheaper renewable energy produced here in the UK.”

Karen Boswell, managing director UK and Ireland at heating manufacturer Baxi, added: “We welcome the government’s investment in developing the new skills needed to support the growth of low-carbon heating solutions in homes and buildings.

“We are fully committed to helping the industry transition to net zero, and we’re focused on helping individuals access opportunities to participate in the anticipated growth of air source heat pumps.”

Carl Arntzen, CEO of Worcester Bosch, said: “We are delighted to see the announcement by government of the funding for installers to become qualified to install heat pumps. There is great interest in future technologies and with this funding installers can gain the confidence and skills to offer heat pumps to their customers.”