In April 2020, Warmworks was appointed as one of three delivery contractors on the Electrification of Heat (EoH) Demonstration Project. The project sought to understand the technical and practical feasibility and constraints of a large-scale rollout of heat pumps into homes across the UK.
Funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the project was led by Energy Systems Catapult with support from LCP Delta and Oxford Computer Consultants.
Four different types of heat pumps were installed across the EoH project:
The heat pumps were installed across a broad range of housing types and ages (68% pre-1980):
Participants’ homes had varying Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings, from A to G, with at least 53% of homes having an energy efficiency rating of C or D before installation of the heat pumps.
Working with Energy Saving Trust and Changeworks, our work focused on South East Scotland, in an area spanning five local authorities – Edinbugh City, Fife, East Lothian, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders – across a broad range of urban and rural areas. E.ON serviced North East England, and OVO Energy serviced South East England, excluding London.
As the delivery contractor, Warmworks was responsible for the end-to-end installation of the heat pumps. We recruited participants across a range of socioeconomic groups and property archetypes, with over 30% of project applications coming through social media and digital communications.
Installation work commenced in October 2020. Upon completion of the installation phase in September 2021, 742 heat pumps had been installed across the UK through the project. The new heat pumps were then monitored until September 2023.
We successfully delivered high-quality heat pump installations to 305 homes across the South East Scotland region, lowering fuel consumption and energy bills for homes and making them warmer, healthier and happier.
Energy Systems Catapult published the project findings in December 2024, which show that heat pumps can be an effective, practical and adaptable solution in the journey to net zero. We know that a large-scale rollout is possible, but challenges remain and it’s up to the industry and government to meet those challenges head-on.
Reflecting on the findings, the fact that 85% of participants had either already recommended, or were likely to recommend, a heat pump to a friend or family member is highly encouraging. Many cited their reliability, easy-to-use nature and low levels of noise as key factors.
The findings also suggest that it is possible to install heat pumps across most UK housing archetypes and that they can operate with good overall efficiency, provided the system is properly designed and specified. It was shown that even on the coldest days – when temperatures fell to as low as -6° – the decline in system performance was “marginal”.
The report states that there is a clear need to continue to develop approaches and solutions that minimise the disruption experienced by consumers when installing a heat pump. It also calls for making the installation process more straightforward for all property types, given that the report found:
We believe that Warmworks’ approach to heat pump installations – which is led by our focus on people and individual needs and supported by our network of accredited sub-contractors – can make a real difference in addressing the challenges presented in the report findings.
Warmworks is committed to ensuring that the transition to low-carbon living, with its rapid shift towards new and decarbonised, renewable technologies in people’s homes, is open to everyone – especially those who need extra help and support to adapt to change.
This approach was showcased during the EoH project, where we supported participants in optimising their new system. Following the successful installation of the heat pumps, we monitored the initial outcomes and continued to monitor the properties to understand seasonal trends and efficiencies.
With those initial optimisation outcomes being positive, we responded to the energy price crisis of 2022/23 by reaching out to all our participants on several occasions to offer support and advice to ensure their systems were continuing to work at the optimum level.
This included providing a summary of factors that may affect heat pump efficiency, potential steps to improve efficiency and instructions on how to take these steps with certain heat pumps.
The most common optimisation activities were:
In all instances, these interventions provided positive outcomes. We recognise that some of our customers will need extra support, so our service has been specifically designed to be bespoke, personal and to allow us to meet our customers’ needs wherever we can.
The EoH project clearly demonstrated that Warmworks’ approach to the complex customer journey is an effective one that can deliver positive outcomes for householders. It also serves as a great example of the professional delivery approach we take to all the work that we do.
Read more about the Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project here.
Formed in 2015, Warmworks is a joint venture partnership between three organisations with considerable experience and understanding of our industry and the customers we serve. These organisations are Energy Saving Trust, Sureserve and Changeworks. We are committed to providing affordable warmth to homes, families and communities across the country.
We deliver a range of contracts across the country, from the Orkney Islands to South East England, aimed at helping people to manage their energy costs by improving the energy efficiency of their home. We are also the Managing Agent of the Scottish Government’s national fuel poverty scheme, Warmer Homes Scotland. Since the scheme was launched in 2015, we have supported more than 35,000 people across Scotland to stay warm in their home, save against their energy bills and make their home more energy efficient. For information about all the contracts and projects we manage, visit the Our Work page of our website.
We are the Managing Agent for most of the projects we deliver. This means we oversee the installation of heating, energy efficiency and insulation work in our customers’ homes, from the initial survey where we’ll discuss the measures that could be installed, right through to a final inspection to make sure everything meets our rigorous safety and quality standards.
We recognise that we have a role in supporting the communities in which we work and live. This has meant working to create jobs and training opportunities, supporting communities with approaches tailored to their needs, and leaving a real, lasting legacy. Since we were founded in 2015, we have supported the creation of more than 150 apprenticeships in our supply chain, more than 700 jobs, and over 3,000 training opportunities. For more information about how we support local communities, visit the Our communities page of our website.
We manage a network of registered and accredited sub-contractors, known as our supply chain, who help us provide a first-class service to our customers. Each sub-contractor is continually assessed by a specially designed performance management system. The aim of this is to help reassure our customers that they will receive high quality workmanship, that the people carrying out work in their home are professional and trustworthy, and that our sub-contractors are able to deal with any questions or concerns.
Our customers are at the centre of everything we do, and our customer promise outlines the level of service they can expect from us.
You can find information about our current vacancies by clicking the Join our team link at the top of this page.
You can get in touch with us by calling 0800 011 6189 or by emailing enquiries@warmworks.co.uk If you have an enquiry about one of our projects, you can find details of how to get in touch at the bottom of each project page listed under the Our work section of our website.