EDF announces acquisition of leading Heat Pump installer, CB Heating

By EDF | Posted November 13, 2023

Complete acquisition of CB Heating builds upon EDF’s strategic investment announced in 2022.
Investment will further boost upskilling of heat pump engineers, after strategic partnership trained an extra 370 engineers to increase the workforce fivefold in its first year.
The acquisition demonstrates EDF’s long-term commitment to helping its customers and Britain achieve net zero.

EDF, Britain’s biggest generator of zero carbon electricity, has acquired one of the UK’s leading air source heat pump installers, CB Heating, in a strategic step towards helping customers transition to zero-carbon heating solutions such as heat pumps.

The acquisition follows on from the strategic investment made by EDF into CB Heating in 2022. Coming at a crucial time for the sector, today’s announcement follows the recent Government extension of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)¹, and 50% boost for the air source heat pump grant, rising from £5,000 to £7,500.

With the Future Homes Standard² banning the installation of gas boilers in new homes by 2025, and the total ban of fossil fuel gas boilers by 2035, the investment will improve the end-to-end customer journey from selection to installation, by slashing waiting times and delivering better value. As part of investment, EDF is working to halve the customer journey time, which currently takes three to four months.

The deal will also see EDF putting a dedicated team in place to deliver heat pump solutions for a wide range of homes across the country, forming part of a wider range of zero carbon home products for both local authorities and developers looking to ensure compliance with the new legislation.

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.”

One of the challenges in delivering the Government’s overarching decarbonisation strategy will require the number of qualified zero carbon heat engineers to increase dramatically. According to Nesta, the UK requires 27,000 qualified engineers³ to meet current government targets of delivering 600,000 heat pump installations each year by 2028. Currently, there are around 4,500 qualified heat pump installers in the UK⁴ compared to more than 150,000 gas safe engineers⁵.

Over the past year, EDF’s strategic investment and partnership with CB Heating has supported the development of the Heat Pump Installers Network (HPIN) Academy, which delivers free training to upskill engineers at every level in the UK.

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. The HPIN Academy has the potential to train up to 4,000 new heat pump installers every year, bringing positive impact to hundreds of communities across the country.

Clayton Browne, Managing Director at CB Heating, said: “Now CB Heating has the investment and resource to continue its journey to develop and grow our HPIN network, which is the largest network of qualified trained heat pump installers in the UK.

“We plan to train over 1000 heat pump installers in 2024, meaning a quarter of all estimated heat pump installers in the UK will be a HPIN member. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved so far and will continue to work with thousands of other local independent installers to help them move away from fossil fuels and switch to heat pumps. It’s a very exciting time for CB Heating as we take this next step in our 23-year history.”

ENDS

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[1] The Boiler Upgrade Scheme will be extended from 2025 until 2028

[2] The Future Homes Standard will see gas boilers banned in new build properties, making heat pumps the primary heating replacement technology.

[3] Nesta claims according to its modelling, we will need at least 27,000 qualified engineers by 2028 to meet the Government’s target. See Nesta's article on the heat pump installer gap.

[4] The Clean Heat Market Mechanism Consultation Impact Assessment evidences there are currently around 1,500 businesses in the UK certified with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) to install heat pumps, which is estimated to employ around 4,500 installers. Clean Heat Market Mechanism consultation impact assessment (publishing.service.gov.uk)

[5] The Gas Safe Register at a Glance evidences there were 151,701 registered engineers by 31^st March 2023 (page 6) Gas Safe Register At A Glance 2022-23 (PDF))

About EDF

EDF is helping Britain achieve Net Zero by leading the transition to a cleaner, low emission, electric future and tackling climate change. It is the UK’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity(1) and supplies millions of customers with electricity and gas.

It generates low carbon electricity from five nuclear power stations and more than thirty onshore wind farms and two offshore wind farms.

EDF is leading the UK's nuclear renaissance with the construction of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C, and there are advanced plans for a replica at Sizewell C in Suffolk. Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C will provide low carbon electricity to meet 14% of UK demand and power around 12 million homes.

EDF is one of the UK’s largest investors in renewables, with more than 1GW of renewable generation in operation and over 5GW in construction, planning and development across a range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and battery storage. We are constructing our largest offshore wind farm in Britain – the 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe project in Scotland.

EDF is helping its customers, both in business and at home, take their first steps to sustainably powering their lives. Whether it is buying an electric car, generating and storing electricity, selling energy back to the grid or installing a heat pump. EDF is one of the largest suppliers to British business and a leading supplier of innovative energy solutions that are helping businesses become more energy independent. In addition, the company’s energy services business, Dalkia, is one of the largest technical service providers in the UK and Ireland.

EDF is part of EDF Group, the world’s biggest electricity generator. In the UK, the company employs around 14,000 people at locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

About CB Heating

With more than 20 years’ experience in the heat pump market having installed their first heat pump in 2000, CB Heating has a proven track record of delivering installations and excellent customer service (Trustpilot rated 4.8³).

CB Heating’s state-of-the-art training academy offers dedicated heat pump training facilities including fully functional practical bays and seminar rooms to provide local gas and oil installers a safe place to switch to heat pumps. The HPIN Training Academy continues to support installers even after qualification.

As a training provider under the Midlands Net Zero Hub’s Heat Pump Training Grant, CB Heating offers installers with up to £500 discount on the HPIN BPEC Level 3 Award in Installation and Maintenance of Air Source Heat Pumps.