The acquisition follows on from a strategic investment made by EDF into CB Heating last year to train a new generation of heat pump installers.

This supported the development of the Heat Pump Installers Network (HPIN) Academy, which delivers free training to upskill engineers at every level in the UK.

Now following the firm’s acquisition,  EDF aims to put a dedicated team in place to deliver heat pump solutions for a wide range of homes across the country, forming part of a wider range of zero carbon home products for both local authorities and developers looking to ensure compliance with the new legislation.

Today’s announcement comes the recent Government extension of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and 50% boost for the air source heat pump grant, rising from £5,000 to £7,500.

The Government’s Future Homes Standard bans the installation of gas boilers in new homes by 2025, moving to a total ban of fossil fuel gas boilers by 2035.

Philippe Commaret, managing director of Customers at EDF, said: “The investment we’re making in the heat pump market is representative of all the work we’re doing to help Britain achieve net zero.

“Having acquired stand-out installer CB Heating, we look forward to delivering an even better service and added value for our customers, making it easier for them to switch from polluting fossil fuels to low carbon electricity, and in doing so, save cash and carbon.”

The UK has been estimated to require 27,000 qualified engineers to meet current government targets of delivering 600,000 heat pump installations each year by 2028.

Currently, there are around 4,500 qualified heat pump installers compared to more than 150,000 gas safe engineers.

The free HPIN Academy has the potential to train up to 4,000 new heat pump installers every year, bringing positive impact to hundreds of communities across the country.

Clayton Browne, managing director at CB Heating, said: “Now CB Heating has the investment and resource to continue its journey to develop and grow our HPIN network, which is the largest network of qualified trained heat pump installers in the UK.

“We plan to train over 1000 heat pump installers in 2024, meaning a quarter of all estimated heat pump installers in the UK will be a HPIN member.

“It’s a very exciting time for CB Heating as we take this next step in our 23-year history.”