With the new Heat and Buildings Strategy encouraging the use of heat pumps - now is a good time to revisit the IOR paper "Why don't people install heat pumps?" available free here to download.

This paper considers why the annual UK installation rate of heat pumps is relatively low in comparison to other countries and questions the source of 'green' electricity required for a large heat pump fleet.

It covers electrically driven vapour compression air source heat pumps (ASHPs) for domestic and light commercial building sectors, providing on-gas grid and off-gas grid locations are considered, for:

  • domestic hot water (DHW) plus space heating via low pressure hot water (LPHW)
  • domestic hot water (DHW) plus space heating via warm air

This paper focuses on ASHPs, and doesn't include direct heat pump systems, because the number of heat pumps required to replace natural gas boilers and satisfy UK carbon reduction targets is not possible with ground source technology.

 

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The Institute of Refrigeration is the professional engineering body for all individuals working in RACHP. Find out more about the IOR here. 

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2 Jun 2026

A new STEM careers leaflet is now available from the IOR! It's an ideal resource for anyone engaging with young people about opportunities in the cooling sector. It showcases the vital role cooling plays in modern life, the diverse areas they could work in, and the all‑important insights into career progression and salary expectations!

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Help Shape Future Skills: Join An IOR Industry Skills Alliance Group

2 Jun 2026

The IOR Industry Skills Alliance is hosting its group meetings this month, and there’s still time to get involved. Your expertise can help shape the future skills needed across the RACHP sector.

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