INNOVATION
Ideal Heating
Ideal Heating is the UK’s leading manufacturer of gas boilers
Employees celebrate The King’s Award at Ideal Heating’s Hull site
Assembling control units on Ideal Heating’s heat pump production line
Ideal Heating has been manufacturing heating products in the UK for over 100 years and is at the forefront of the industry’s transition to low carbon technologies. It is part of Groupe Atlantic UK and Republic of Ireland, which employs around 1,500 people nationwide, including 800 at its headquarters in Hull. Ideal Heating has been honoured with The King’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category, recognising the company’s comprehensive, end-to- end heat pump delivery package, which is reshaping how the UK adopts low carbon heating technology. The honour reflects Ideal Heating’s major strategic shift following the UK Government’s introduction in 2019 of legally binding net zero targets for greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This prompted the company to redesign its entire business model. Ideal Heating conceived and built Britain’s most comprehensive heat pump ecosystem from the ground up, addressing every barrier to heat pump adoption in a single, integrated solution. Rather than focusing on just heat pump products, the company created a complete package to support adoption of the technology. This encompasses product design, simplicity of install, ease of maintenance, service, full manufacturer-backed warranties, and market- leading support from Ideal Heating’s dedicated team of heat pump experts. Training and skills development Another key element is Ideal Heating’s industry- leading investment in training and skills development. The company has established the UK’s largest heat pump training network of more than 30 facilities, including its flagship £2.2m
National Training and Technology Centre. The company introduced the UK’s first government-recognised and funded Skills Bootcamp programme, enabling thousands of installers to train free of charge, equipping them with the skills and qualifications to install, service and maintain heat pumps. Ideal Heating’s investment in training facilities and programmes has rapidly expanded the heat pump installer workforce, supporting the broader national transition to low-carbon heating. State-of-the-art technology Ideal Heating has also built a dedicated customer service team for heat pumps. This expert team is able to resolve more than 70% of customer issues remotely, significantly reducing the need for engineer visits. This approach has resulted in the avoidance of more than 30,000 miles of travel and the prevention of over 9,000kg of CO2 emissions. Underpinning all of this is a £60m investment programme in new manufacturing, distribution, and research and development facilities at Ideal Heating’s Hull headquarters. The jewel in the crown is a state-of-the-art UK Technology Centre, which provides advanced capability for developing, testing, and refining next-generation heating products. “Ideal Heating conceived and built Britain’s most comprehensive heat pump ecosystem from the ground up”
The company has been awarded £5.2m through the Government’s Heat Pump Accelerator competition, which is being matched by £6.8m in private investment by Ideal Heating and sister business Gledhill. It is a built-in-Britain partnership, which will give a major boost to UK manufacturing, creating new jobs and opportunities at Ideal Heating’s Hull site and Gledhill’s operations in Blackpool. The King’s Award is the fourth such honour for Ideal Heating, the company having previously received three Queen’s Awards – for Innovation in 2013, and for both Innovation and International Trade in 2019. The series of honours underlines Ideal Heating’s sustained success and continued ability to adapt, innovate, invest and lead during a period of major transformation in the heating industry. IDEAL HEATING National Avenue, Hull, HU5 4JB Tel: 01482 492251 • enquiries@idealheating.com www.idealheating.com idealheating idealboilers ideal_boilers Development Engineer Dak Hewson in Ideal Heating’s UK Technol- ogy Centre
King’s Awards Magazine 2026
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