New analysis suggests that in the past decade, households have spent approximately £8 million on planning permission applications and sound tests for heat pumps – yet over 80% of these are approved.
The UK government has set out ambition to install 450,000 heat pumps annually by 2030, but as of 2026, only ~300,000 households have so far had one installed. Roughly a third of households installing a heat pump are affected by planning rules, costing time and money.
To combat this, the government has announced a summer consultation, intended to make it easier for households to install a heat pump. Research from Nesta, a research and innovation foundation, suggests that extending permitted development rights to Grade II listed buildings would help thousands of applications clear through the system more quickly and at a lower cost, as well as developing a cheaper alternative to the expensive BS4142 sound tests.
Katy King, director of Nesta’s sustainable future mission said: “A significant proportion of people who want to get a heat pump are being forced to spend their valuable money and time on lengthy planning processes.”
She added: “The government could extend permitted development rights, revisit the need for in person sound assessments and waive application costs so that people aren’t put off unnecessarily when making the switch from fossil fuel heating. This would save consumers time and money, while ultimately accelerating UK home decarbonisation.”
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