A total of 24 heat pump projects will share £15 million in new government funding.

Officials, who had previously set a target to install 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028, hope that the cash boost will make heat pumps cheaper and easier to install.

Projects being supported by this funding include one in Harrogate in North Yorkshire that is using data from smart meters to help optimise the running of a heat pump in a household.

A scheme in Truro in Cornwall that is looking to develop efficient refrigerants used in heat pumps will also be supported.

Business and Energy Minister Lord Callanan said: “In light of rising global gas and oil prices, getting low carbon heating technology into homes is a priority for this government as it will help households ditch the costly fossil fuels that are driving up bills.

“Heat pumps are a proven, reliable technology that uses cheaper renewable energy produced in the UK. We are already bringing costs down through the Boiler Upgrade scheme and slashing VAT to zero, but by finding innovative ways to make them even cheaper and easier to install, we will help more homes see the benefits even quicker.”