Ed Miliband’s plan to install millions of heat pumps in British homes has been branded ‘ludicrous net zero dogma’ after it was revealed billions in taxpayer cash will have to be spent to fulfil the project.

The Net Zero Minister unveiled plans to install 9.3 million heat pumps by 2035, despite the fact that only 310,000 have been installed so far.

As part of Labour’s plan to reduce UK emissions over the next decade, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “Heat pump sales have more than tripled since 2019 to over 84,000 in 2024.

“We aim to grow the UK heat pump market to cumulative 9.3 million domestic installations by 2035.”

Despite this, just last year, Mr Miliband admitted to a Net Zero conference that he was “wary” of telling the public that heat pumps would ever be cheaper than a gas boiler.

Under a Conservative Government, Boris Johnson had set out a target of 600,000 installations per year but he never reached that goal.

Last year, there were 58,000 installations, while there have been just 52,000 between January and October this year.

The Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which is vital in Mr Miliband’s plans to scale up heat pump installations, offers a £7,500 grant per heat pump installation, in a bid to incentivise the low-carbon heating systems.

To achieve the astonishing target of 9.3million, with the grant, it would cost the taxpayer up to a mind-blowing £67billion.

However, only around 38 per cent of installations are expected to be eligible for the scheme, based on 2024’s figures. This leaves the estimated bill for the taxpayer at around £25billion.

The Government’s plans to build new homes are not included in the scheme, but it is unknown how many will be built. 300,000 a year was pledged.

That was confirmed by a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman, who added that the figures were “wrong”, but that Britain is showing “record demand for heat pumps”.

Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice has condemned the plans, saying: “Given the direction the country is headed, you’d think the Government would have more pressing priorities than heat pumps.

“As with every Labour policy, this will come at the expense of the hard-working British public.

“This is a Government still bogged down by ludicrous net-zero dogma — refusing to do the real, practical job of improving the quality of life, reducing crime, and keeping Britons safe.”

The Government’s independent advisors, the Climate Change Committee, said earlier this year that the UK must get to 1.5 million heat pumps a year by 2035, which seems a far more realistic and reasonable target.

Director of external affairs at The MCS Foundation, David Cowdrey, said: “The UK has seen record growth in heat pump uptake in recent years, with annual installations nearly quadrupling since 2020, according to MCS data.

“Government grants and funding to install heat pumps in low-income households have helped drive up numbers, and the market is set to grow further thanks to the requirement for virtually all new homes to have a heat pump from 2027.

“However, while this growth is encouraging, Britain’s high electricity costs are likely to impact the growth we need to see. Action is needed from the Government to reduce electricity prices and ensure that it’s always cheaper to run a heat pump than a gas boiler.

“The fairest way to do this is by moving social and environmental levies off electricity bills and into general taxation. Our research has shown that not only would this boost heat pump uptake, but it could reduce bills by as much as £300 a year.”

And Mr Miliband’s ambitious plans could yet be scuppered by Rachel Reeves’ impending Budget later this month.

While earlier in the week it was said the scheme could be extended for a further five years, latest reports suggest that, with plans to hike income tax rates now seemingly scrapped, Ms Reeves could turn to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in a last-ditch bid to raise cash.

The suggestions are that the £7,500 in grants could be slashed, leaving the Net Zero minister’s hopes of achieving the 9.3million target almost in tatters.

Government figures are said to believe that the scheme benefits the more affluent, who arguably could afford the heat pumps without Government funding, rather than those who couldn’t.

The scale of the potential cuts is yet to be decided, but Mr Miliband could be left with a decision on whether to draw the white flag, admit defeat or surrender the 9.3 million target.

Our Standards:
The GB News Editorial Charter