About us
About Nesta
We are Nesta, the research and innovation foundation. We design, test and scale solutions to the biggest challenges of our time. Our sustainability mission is to reduce home carbon emissions in the UK by 30% by 2030.
A key way to ensure homes produce less carbon is to switch from gas or oil heating to heat pumps. We want to help heating engineers learn about heat pumps so they can benefit from this industry and help homes switch.
Installing a heat pump in your own home is a great way to learn and build confidence. In partnership with SNIPEF, Nesta tested the idea with 36 heating engineers. They felt more confident and knowledgeable after installing a heat pump at home. We’re working with a range of companies to make it as easy as possible. On this website, we’ve brought together information to help you understand offers from other companies that are similar to our Start at Home pilot.
Become a scheme provider
We want as many engineers to be able to Start at Home as possible, so we’re always looking for new organisations who want to offer their own Start at Home programme. We’ll help you promote your Start at Home offer, as long as engineers get the following at no cost:
Air source heat pump
An air source heat pump up to 12kw, or equivalent ground source or air-to-air system (an extra charge can be applied for more powerful heat pumps).
System controls
Heat pump and/or system controls.
Design support
Support with heat loss and system design.
Hot water storage unit
Hot water storage up to 200L or equivalent thermal store or domestic hot water supply (an extra charge can be applied for larger cylinders).
Specific equipments
Heat pump-specific equipment and connection parts.
Installation support
Support with installation, if requested.
You may also choose to include extras and other support. For example, some scheme providers offer heat pump training or funding to cover costs for labour or extra equipment.
If you’d like to discuss your ideas, get in touch with us at startathome@nesta.org.uk.