INSTALLING heat pumps too early could lead to "skyrocketing" electricity bills says Worcester's MP.

New figures from MCS, the standards body for heat pumps and other energy-saving technology, have shown that less than one in 200 homes in Worcester have a heat pump

The figures suggest 43 heat pumps were installed in Worcester from 2009 to September – covering an estimated 0.1 per cent of households in the area.

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The Government has pledged to install 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028 – MCS figures show there were fewer than 33,000 installed last year, although separate industry figures show around 55,000 heat pumps were sold across the UK in 2022.

Across the UK fewer than 26,000 have been installed so far this year – with 12 of them in Worcester homes.

Robin Walker, MP for Worcester, said rushing into mass installation of heat pumps could lead to skyrocketing electricity bills.

He said: "I agree that the technology is the way forward for the future however, if we rushed to install heat pumps too early it would most likely result in electricity costs skyrocketing as they need electricity to function.

"What we need to focus on before that is proper insulation in the home through the Great British Insulation Drive which launched recently.

"Bosch currently manufactures heat pumps in The Netherlands and manufactures boilers here, so it would be a bit ludicrous to important from overseas at this stage.

"It just needs to be done in a sensible way to keep energy costs low for Worcester people."

Heat pumps work by extracting heat from the air or the ground outside and pumping it into a building, operating like an air conditioner in reverse. They are more energy efficient than traditional boilers, and the Government has been providing grants to encourage households to upgrade.

Industry bodies and pressure groups have warned the Government is already lagging behind its target, as the Prime Minister rolled back various green pledges.

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As part of Thursday's announcement, Rishi Sunak promised to roll back demands on landlords to improve the energy efficiency of lets and upgrade old boilers.

An MCS spokesperson said they welcomed the Government's decision to increase grants for heat pumps from £5,000 to £7,000, but warned uptake would need to increase "exponentially" to meet the Government's target.

MCS' figures cover most installations across the UK.