Heat pump planning trends
Heat pumps' share of planning applications rose 29% in Q3 2026 on a year earlier, after falling from a February 2025 peak.
Heat pump applications since 2016
Heat pump applications in every 10,000 planning applications, over the 12 months to each month
How this is measuredDown from the peak, then up
The heat pump planning index peaked at 1,190 in the 12 months to February 2025, when 5,832 applications named a heat pump. It fell to 858 by June 2026, then rose to 917 by September: over nine times the 2016 share, on 4,305 applications.
Wales and Scotland lead
From 2023 to 2025, Wales had 201 heat pump applications in every 10,000 and Scotland 164, against 101 across the UK. Northern Ireland had 5.5. Orkney Islands leads all councils with 1,096 since 2016, ahead of Westminster on 530.
Q3 2026 against a year earlier
Councils received 1,234 heat pump applications in Q3 2026: 120 in every 10,000 applications, against 93 in Q3 2025, a share of all applications 29% higher than a year earlier.
Heat pump applications each quarter
1,234 in Q3 2026, against 1,020 a year earlier.
Out of every 10,000 applications
As a share of every application: 120 in every 10,000 in Q3 2026, against 93 a year earlier.
Where heat pump applications concentrate
By region
Heat pump applications in every 10,000 planning applications, 2023 to 2025
Councils with the most
Applications since 2016
-
Orkney Islands
Scotland · 2,325 in every 10,000 1,096 -
Westminster
London · 88 in every 10,000 530 -
Dumfries and Galloway
Scotland · 270 in every 10,000 448 -
Western Isles
Scotland · 837 in every 10,000 443 -
Shetland Islands
Scotland · 1,067 in every 10,000 380 -
North Yorkshire
Yorkshire and Humber · 50 in every 10,000 336 -
Wiltshire
South West · 59 in every 10,000 332 -
Dorset
South West · 68 in every 10,000 327 -
Oxford
South East · 166 in every 10,000 324 -
Highland
Scotland · 91 in every 10,000 319
Latest heat pump applications
- 9 George Road Milford Godalming Erection of a single storey extension together with alterations to roofspace to provide habitable accommodation including installation of rooflights; installation of air source heat pump.
- Hideaway Cottage Cartmel Road Grange-Over-Snds Replacement garage roof, installation of two rooflights, solar panels and an air source heat pump
- Hideaway Cottage Cartmel Road Grange-Over-Sands Listed Building Consent for internal and external alterations including layout changes at first floor level and renovation of garage into habitable space. Replacement of garage roof, installation of two rooflights, solar panels and an air source heat pump
- 12 Devonia Road, London Erection of mansard extension. Replacement of the existing windows. Re conversion to a single family house. Installation of x1 ASHP.
- Ashopton, Fidlers Well, Bamford Installation of Air Heat Pump and Solar Panels
- 35 Battledean Road, London Alterations to previously approved rear extension, installation of solar panels to both front and rear roofs, and installation of an ASHP.
How often are they refused?
Of 16,716 received 2016 to 2024 and decided, 6.4% were refused, below the 11.3% for all applications.
Refusal rate by year
Decisions, applications received 2016 to 2024
- Approved or refused16,716
- Refused6.4%
- Withdrawn before a decision1,468
- All applications11.3% refused
Questions
How many heat pump planning applications are there in the UK?
Councils have received 27,714 since January 2016, 4,305 of them in the 12 months to September 2026. Their share peaked in the 12 months to February 2025.
Which councils get the most heat pump applications?
Orkney Islands, Westminster and Dumfries and Galloway have received the most since 2016.
How often are heat pump applications refused?
Of 16,716 heat pump applications received from 2016 to 2024 and decided, 6.4% were refused, against 11.3% for all applications. The refusal rate rose every year from 3.2% for applications received in 2019 to 8.8% for those received in 2024.
Do fewer heat pumps need planning permission now?
Yes. From 29 May 2025 England dropped the 1 metre boundary rule for air source heat pumps on houses and raised the volume limit to 1.5 cubic metres. Wales removed its 3 metre boundary rule on 1 June 2026. Listed buildings in England remain excluded.
About Plota
Plota is the UK's most visited planning search, according to Similarweb. It shows every new planning application from every UK council, read daily from 390 planning registers, with past applications back to 2016 from more than 420 registers, including those of councils since merged. It also covers planning committee decisions, HMO licences and premises licences.
How this is measured
What needs an application
Since 29 May 2025, most home heat pumps in England need no planning application. Wales widened its permitted development rights for heat pumps on 1 June 2026.
Methodology
- What is counted: planning applications to UK councils whose description names heat pumps or a close variant of the words, by the date each council received them. These are planning applications, not completed schemes; the largest energy and infrastructure projects are consented nationally rather than by councils, so they sit outside these counts.
- How matches are checked: we read the 200 most recent heat pump applications and 20 from every year since 2016 to confirm each one belongs.
- Topic counts leave out, by design, works to trees and applications that only discharge conditions, amend an earlier permission or approve reserved matters, which follow a scheme already counted. Everything else is counted.
- A share is the number out of every 10,000 applications over the previous 12 months. Each topic is a number in every 10,000 planning applications, so trends compare when overall planning activity changes; the share still moves when either the topic's count or the total does. The heat pump planning index sets the 2016 share at 100, so 200 means twice as common as in 2016.
- Source: the planning registers of every UK council, January 2016 to September 2026, read on 9 November 2026.
- Planning is seasonal, so each quarter is compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
- Year on year: each topic's and theme's share of all applications in Q3 2026, against Q3 2025, at every council we hold. A share is the number in every 10,000 applications. Shares compare across councils and years; raw counts do not.
- Left out of the topic shares: Birmingham's applications from June to September 2026: a validation backlog at the council since June 2026: of 685 reference numbers it issued in September, its register lists 288. The same months a year earlier are left out too, so every comparison covers the same councils.
- Refusals: applications received 2016 to 2024 and decided, at councils whose published decisions pass our checks against their decision notices. Approvals and refusals count; withdrawals do not. "All applications" means every decision of that kind at the same councils over the same years. Applications received from 2025 are added once most are decided.
- Download the data (CSV): every topic and theme, each quarter since 2016.
Sources
- The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2025, in force 29 May 2025, removed the 1 metre boundary rule for domestic air source heat pumps and raised the volume limit to 1.5 cubic metres. legislation.gov.uk
- Wales's amendment order took effect on 1 June 2026. gov.wales
- Wales previously required planning permission for heat pumps within 3 metres of a boundary. nesta.org.uk
- Listed buildings fall outside permitted development for air source heat pumps in England. planningportal.co.uk