Energy supplier EDF Energy has acquired air-source heat pump installer CB Heating in a bid to capitalise on the rising interest surrounding decarbonised heating.
As part of the acquisition, EDF will put a dedicated team in place to deliver heat pump solutions to a range of UK homes across the country. This will help local authorities and developers ensure they are compliant with the new Future Homes Standard legislation, which will see gas boilers banned in new build properties from 2025.
The deal also comes just months after the UK government announced that the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which has been instrumental in supporting the technology, had been extended from 2025 to 2028. The announcement also coincided with a 50% increase for the air-source heat pump grant, rising from £5,000 to £7,500.
The amount EDF will pay to secure the services of CB Heating has not been disclosed, however, in 2022, EDF made a strategic investment in CB Heating to boost heat pump installations and upskill engineers via the Heat Pump Installer Network (HPIN) Academy.
In a statement made yesterday (13 November), the two companies said that, since August 2022, the partnership has generated a 414% surge in the number of heat pump installers being trained, rising from 90 to 463 installers.
It is worth noting that the academy has the potential to train up to 4,000 new heat pump installers and allows CB Heating to carry out installations on a national scale by working with local heating companies across the UK.
Philippe Commaret, managing director of customers at EDF, said: “The investment we’re making in the heat pump market is representative of all the work we’re doing to help Britain achieve net zero.
“Having acquired stand-out installer CB Heating, we look forward to delivering an even better service and added value for our customers, making it easier for them to switch from polluting fossil fuels to low carbon electricity, and in doing so, save cash and carbon.”
