Exclusive:Heat pump installations 'stalled' in Scotland as SNP accused of undermining confidence
The installation of heat pumps across Scotland has stalled in the past year
SNP ministers have been urged to widen their funding for green heating systems after the number of heat pumps installed in Scotland has “stalled” over the past 12 months.
The appeal comes as the Scottish Government comes under pressure to finally publish its long-delayed flagship Heat in Buildings Bill that will chart a course for fossil fuels boilers being scrapped up to the 2045 net-zero target.
A progress report, published on Thursday, showed that although the number of heat pumps in Scotland had tripled since 2019 and increased by 17 per cent from 2023 to 2024, progress had slowed from August 2024 to July of this year.
Figures show only 6,861 heat pumps were installed in Scotland between August 2024 and July 2025 - a decline on the 7,254 devices established between August 2023 and July 2024.
The Scottish Government will need to significantly ramp up the pace of heat pump and district heating installations if the net-zero 2045 target is to remain realistic.
Io Hadjicosta, climate and energy policy manager at WWF Scotland, said: “The recent drop in heat pump installations is disappointing, though not surprising.
“Whilst we've seen numbers triple since 2019, installations have stalled this year. The delay in the Heat in Buildings Bill has left homeowners and industry in limbo, stalling progress and undermining confidence.
“We need a Bill that has teeth: one that sets minimum energy efficiency standards, triggers clean heat upgrades and backs fuel poor households with real support. Delay costs carbon, cash, and traps people into cold, damp homes for longer.”
Scottish Greens climate spokesperson Patrick Harvie drew up the initial heat in buildings plans while a minister under the Bute House Agreement, which would have included trigger points, such as the sale of a property, for mandatory upgrades to clean heating systems being required.
But in April, then-SNP climate action minister Alasdair Allan announced the Scottish Government was “charting a new course” for the legislation, that was to be watered down. He acknowledged the initial plans risked “burdening every individual householder with an overly onerous responsibility” to replace fossil fuel heating systems.
Speaking to The Scotsman, Mr Harvie said: “They can’t just say that in 2045, fossil fuel systems will be banned because that’s just an unbearable massive backlog of work that needs to be done in the two or three years running up to that and no-one’s going to be able to do that.”
The Greens MSP has called for the Scottish Government to open up a “technology-neutral approach” to the grants and loans system. He said: “Grants and loans are available for air source to water heat pumps, which is great if you’ve got room for a water storage tank.
“Air to air heat pumps might work well for a lot of people, but it’s not covered in the grants and loans. The financial support should support the maximum range of options.”
SNP Housing Secretary Mairi McAllan has acknowledged a “rapid and transformational change to the way in which we heat our buildings” will be needed.
She said: “The number of homes with a heat pump installed has risen, along with increased public awareness. However, we know that we will need to go further and faster across all areas to meet our targets.
“That is why we plan to introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill that will provide a clear framework for the transition to clean heating and better improved energy efficiency. It will give industry and homeowners the certainty they need to invest, boost heat network development and set a long-term direction of travel that is deliverable and affordable for households and businesses.”
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