Applications to install heat pumps in UK homes hit a new record level last month, with experts warning that time is now running out with government funding likely to dry up.

New figures show a dramatic spike with almost 10,000 Brits applying to put in a heat pump in September, a rise of more than 130% over the same month last year.

The government today confirmed “a historic surge in heat pumps applications reaching an all-time monthly high.”

The figures are 30% up on the previous month, with experts saying the uplift is being driven by increasingly high gas bills and a new £9,000 subsidy for replacing gas and oil boilers in homes without a grid connection.

It comes as the subsidy, known as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme was retained in the Budget, although the program was cut by around £700 million, meaning the amount of available government support is likely to become more limited.

Andrew Sissons, director in sustainable future at Nesta, said consumers were now ‘on the clock’ to apply for a heat pump before funding runs out.

"With grant scheme applications for new installations surging to a record high of nearly 10,000 in September, the Budget’s cap on the Boiler Upgrade Scheme means that anyone interested in switching is effectively now on the clock to apply while the funding pot is available.

“Freezing funding for heat pumps just as consumer demand hits its stride risks putting the brakes on Britain’s transition away from gas during a fossil fuel energy crisis.

He added that if government was serious about electrification it should support the heat pump industry’s continued growth."

Heat policy expert, Dr Richard Lowes, of the Regulatory Assistance project added: “The boiler upgrade scheme policy is clearly very well appreciated by British citizens.

The increased grants followed extreme oil prices caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and show just how how exposed people can be to fossil fuel prices, but also how they want to remove to clean technologies, he added.

The CEO of Octopus Energy, Greg Jackson said yesterday: “It’s a bit like the Barbra Streisand effect; publicity about threats to heat pumps has driven interest higher than ever.”

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