In order to support this transition, the industry will require a skilled workforce to install, maintain and develop these clean heat systems. However, despite the Government implementing several policies and initiatives to rapidly increase the adoption of clean heat, not enough is being done to build the workforce who can achieve these targets. Without the right skills and capacity in place, the industry risks widening its existing skills gap, creating delays and ultimately slowing the transition to clean heat.

What is clean heat?

Clean heat refers to systems that do not rely on fossil fuels or gas to heat homes. Instead, they include electric heating systems, such as electric heat pumps or electric storage heaters. While traditional heating systems often rely on the burning of fossil fuels to heat homes, electric systems can use electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

The transition to clean heat is important because household heating accounts for a significant share of the UK’s emissions. Energy UK reported that 17% of the UK’s emissions come from household heat. At the same time, UK homes are among the draughtiest in Western Europe, making them less energy efficient and increasing the amount of energy needed to keep them warm.

What are clean heat systems?

Clean heat systems are alternatives to traditional gas boilers and heaters that warm homes during the colder months. They provide heating and, in some cases, hot water while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. These systems include:

• Heat pumps – Highly efficient systems that use electricity to transfer heat from the air, ground or water into a building. Air-source and ground-source heat pumps are the most common types. Rather than generating heat by burning fuel, heat pumps move existing heat, meaning they can provide significantly lower-carbon heating, particularly when powered by renewable or low-carbon electricity.
• Heat networks – Systems that distribute heat from a central or local energy source to multiple homes, buildings or businesses through insulated pipes. Heat can come from sources such as large heat pumps, energy-from-waste facilities, geothermal energy or recovered waste heat from industrial processes. Heat networks can therefore connect buildings to low-carbon heat sources that may not be practical at an individual property level.

All of these systems support the UK’s decarbonisation targets and are becoming an increasingly important part of the journey to Net Zero.

What is the Clean Heat Market Mechanism (CHMM)?

The Clean Heat Market Mechanism is a UK Government policy designed to accelerate the transition from fossil fuel heating to low-carbon heating technologies, particularly electric heat pumps.

The scheme obliges manufacturers that sell fossil fuel boilers in the UK to increase the proportion of low-carbon heat pumps they sell. This initiative, as set by the UK Government, has created a target for electric heat pumps to account for 8% of all boiler sales in 2026/7, with manufacturers expected to be fined for missing targets.

CHMM forms part of the Government’s wider strategy to decarbonise heating. By shifting the market towards heat pumps, the initiative aims to increase the availability and uptake of low-carbon heating while reducing the UK’s reliance on gas and oil boilers. This sits alongside the Government’s wider strategy, the “Warm Homes Plan”, which, according to the BBC, will provide £15 billion in funds to households to support the installation of green tech such as solar panels, batteries and heat pumps. Together, these policies are intended to support the transition away from fossil fuels and help the UK meet its Net Zero targets.

What does this mean for the heating industry’s workforce?

The various government policies and initiatives to move the UK towards decarbonisation and “electrifying heat” have increased the demand for workers in the connected areas.

The Heat Pump Association UK estimates that by 2035, the demand generated by manufacturing, installing and operating residential space heating appliances alone could require 143,000 people in full-time employment, representing a 75% increase in the number of professionals working in the industry in 2025.

One of the key roles in this sector is a heat pump installer. However, according to UK Government figures, currently 2/3rds of installers within the heating and cooling sector are over 45 years old. By 2035, when the heating workforce needs to have increased by 75% in order to meet the demand, many of those will be retired or near retirement. Therefore, there is a strong need for the industry to build talent pipelines and attract more individuals into the industry.

What jobs are connected to clean heat?

The growth of clean heat will create opportunities across a wide range of technical, engineering, construction and professional roles. Some of the key roles connected to clean heat include:

• Heat pump installers – Install, commission and maintain air-source and ground-source heat pump systems in homes and commercial buildings.
• Electricians – Install and upgrade electrical infrastructure, controls and connections needed for heat pumps and other electric heating systems.
• Heating and HVAC engineers – Adapt their existing heating and cooling expertise to install, maintain and repair low-carbon heating technologies such as heat pumps.
• Retrofit professionals – Assess and improve the energy efficiency of homes, including insulation and ventilation, to ensure properties are suitable for clean heat systems.
• Heat network engineers and technicians – Design, install, operate and maintain the infrastructure that distributes low-carbon heat from central sources to homes and businesses.
• Design and engineering professionals – Design clean heat systems, assess buildings, calculate heat demand and ensure heating installations are correctly specified and efficient.
• Project managers and technical specialists – Coordinate clean heat projects, managing areas such as installation teams, supply chains, compliance, budgets and customer delivery.

How to attract more professionals to clean heat

With demand for clean heat professionals expected to increase significantly over the next decade, attracting enough people into the industry will be essential.

From opening up apprenticeships to providing experienced heating engineers with opportunities to develop their skills and retrain to work with clean heat systems, there are several ways the industry can build the workforce it needs.

Create clear career pathways

One of the biggest barriers to attracting new professionals is knowing where to start. Clean heat is a relatively new and rapidly developing area, and people considering a career in the sector may not understand what qualifications, training or experience they need.

Establishing clear career pathways can help address this. Apprenticeships, college courses, industry placements and entry-level training can give people a straightforward route into roles such as heat pump installation, electrical engineering and retrofit. Employers can support this by working with colleges and training providers to provide practical experience alongside formal qualifications.

Upskill the existing heating workforce

There is already a large pool of experienced professionals working across the plumbing, heating, electrical, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) sectors, with transferable skills that make them strong candidates for clean heat careers.

For these workers, moving into clean heat may require some retraining, so making this transition as straightforward as possible will therefore be important. Training should be flexible and fully funded to support as many new entrants to the sector as possible.

Engage with schools, colleges and universities

Partnering with schools and colleges is a fantastic way to establish a future talent pipeline. Schools and colleges can introduce students to the range of careers available in clean heat, while employers can provide work experience, apprenticeships, talks and site visits to give students a better understanding of the sector.

Building these relationships can help create a stronger pipeline of talent and ensure that young people understand that the energy transition is creating new career opportunities.

Highlight the role of clean heat in the Net Zero transition

For some professionals, working in a sustainable industry is very important to them. Clean heat provides an opportunity to contribute to the UK’s wider decarbonisation goals. Professionals working in the sector will be directly involved in helping households and businesses reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and transition towards lower-carbon heating.

Personnel Today found that the attraction of working in a green industry was particularly strong in the younger generation, where 45% of 16-18 year olds said they would consider securing a green job over pursuing higher education, with 21% reporting they would take a pay cut to work in a green industry. Highlighting the role of clean heat in the Net Zero transition is therefore an important tool for attracting newcomers to the industry.

Improve diversity within the workforce

Widening talent pools will be an effective way to welcome more professionals into the industry. Women make up a small percentage of workers in the heating industry, with Boiler Guide reporting that, according to the Gas Safe register, fewer than 500 professionals out of 100,000 workers are women.

Employers can broaden recruitment by encouraging more women and people from underrepresented backgrounds to consider careers in engineering, construction, energy and heating. This means challenging perceptions around what a career in heating looks like and ensuring recruitment processes are free from unconscious bias. These techniques can help to widen talent pools and allow more newcomers to enter the industry.

Overall, the transition to clean heat is creating significant opportunities for both the heating industry and its workforce. By investing in training, creating clear career pathways and attracting new talent, the industry can build the workforce needed to support the UK’s move towards Net Zero. For existing professionals and those considering a new career, clean heat offers an opportunity to develop valuable skills in a growing sector.

Looking to hire clean heat talent?

VIQU Energy are specialist energy and utilities recruiters, supporting organisations as they navigate the Net Zero transition and the changing demands of the sector. For more information, get in touch with our team to discuss how we can support your clean heat recruitment needs.