- The government is targeting 600,000 heat pump installations in the UK by 2028
- The Warm Homes plan aims to make 300,000 households energy efficient
- Gas boilers currently contribute to up to 14% of UK greenhouse gas emissions
The government has removed the requirement that heat pumps must be at least one metre from a neighbour’s property, in a bid to drive heat pump adoption and make installation easier for millions of homes across England.
The change comes as part of the government’s Warm Homes Plan, which seeks to grant 300,000 households energy efficiency upgrades to lower household energy bills and carbon emissions.
However, consumer groups have warned that the high upfront costs of installing a heat pump remains the biggest barrier to adoption, especially in situations where properties require insulation and pipework upgrades, which add to the overall expense.
A spokesperson from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero said: “We are supporting industry to develop financing models that can remove the upfront cost entirely, and consulting on new approaches, such as heat pump subscriptions, to help more households make the switch to cleaner heating in a way that works for them”.
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But consumer groups have also expressed concern that changes will not benefit those in rented or leasehold properties.
Stuart Gadsden, commercial director, Kensa, was quoted saying that those in the social housing sector benefited from the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund, but was “oversubscribed by double”.
He added: “Lots of housing associations want to put low carbon heating in but there is not enough to go around.”
As a result, renters have to rely on landlords being willing to make the initial upfront investment. From 2030, it will be a mandatory requirement for all private landlords to upgrade their properties to make them energy efficient. This is also part of the Warm Homes plan.
Most homes in the UK currently rely on gas boilers, which contribute up to 14% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. As the government pushes to generate homegrown electricity from renewable sources, such as solar and wind farms, making the switch to heat pumps can be mutually beneficial for consumers and the environment alike.
Until Thursday (29 May 2025), planning permission was required by homeowners if they wanted a heat pump within one metre of a neighbouring property, due to noise concerns. This made what should have been a straightforward process very complicated for those living in one of England’s 6 million terraced houses, and even more so for those replacing a broken gas boiler as customers wouldn’t want to go without heating while waiting for council approval.
Gas engineer Tom Clarke, who fits heat pumps, was quoted saying: “When you look across London we have loads and loads of terraced houses and no matter where you site the appliance it is always going to be within one metre of the boundary.”
Octopus Energy echoed this sentiment in 2023 in a submission to parliament’s Energy Security and Net Zero (ESNZ) Committee: “Those who try to proceed end up waiting an additional eight to 10 weeks on average.
“Even if customers meet all the requirements, there is no guarantee that local councils will grant the permission, as they all have different interpretations of central planning guidelines.
“The combined impact of all these things mean that very few of the 27% of customers who require planning have made it to install.”
Now, in an attempt to accelerate heat pump adoption, this rule has been dropped, with planning changes also including a relaxation of rules relating to heat pump size and number.
Some areas will still require planning permission, for example, those who live in conservation areas. Previous concerns over volume are less of an issue with new devices but units will be required to be below a certain noise level.
Max Schwerdtfeger, deputy editor, The Eco Experts, commented: “Removing the one metre rule is a brilliant and critical step from the government, and if it does reach its target of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028, we could look back and view it as a vital move.
“It means it is less likely that planning applications will be rejected and fewer consumers will drop out of the process of having one installed.”
To learn more about heat pumps and the barriers to installation, watch our latest episode of Positive Energy powered by The Eco Experts, in conversation with Bean Beanland of the Heat Pump Federation.
