Wolseley, NIBE Energy and Stelrad are among those questioning its commitment to reaching net zero by 2050.
The industry has reacted to a speech by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday (Wednesday 20 September) that set out changes to the government's green commitments.
Sunak insisted that he still was committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 - this is where a country does not add any additional greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
Included in his speech was a delay on a ban of new diesel and petrol vehicles to 2035 - a delay of five years on the previous plan, which set out to ban them by 2030
The prime minister said the change was being made to give people more time to make the transition to electric vehicles, saying the "upfront cost is still high".
"It should be you the consumer that makes that choice, not government forcing you to do it," he added.
However, he said that he still expects the "vast majority" of cars sold by 2030 to be electric, "because the costs are reducing, the range is improving, the charging infrastructure is growing".
The speech also touched on the heating of homes, particularly efforts to transition from boilers to heat pumps, although there were no major policy changes in this area.
The government has set out an exemption to phase out fossil fuel boilers by 2035 - pushing it back from 2026. This is expected to cover about a fifth of homes.
An increase in grants to help those making the transition from boilers to heat pumps would rise from £5,000 to £7,500.
"There are no strings attached - the money will never need to be repaid," he said. "We'll never force anyone to rip out their existing boiler and replace it with a heat pump."
There will be no new energy efficiency targets on homes with a pledge to scrap policies that would force landlords to upgrade energy efficiency in their homes, but would "encourage" households to do so.
The old policy was that from 2025, new tenancies would only be possible on properties with an Energy Performance Certificate of C or higher - from 2028, this would apply to existing tenancies as well. Both have been scrapped.
Despite the policy changes, Sunak insisted that the net zero target for 2050 would remain in place.
Nick Coad, Director of Innovation, Wolseley Group, the UK’s biggest merchant of boilers and also a heat pump retailer, said: "While the enhancement to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a welcome development, the Government needs to ensure that the policy changes announced do not end up creating uncertainty over potential subsidies for homeowners and for trade professionals, and ensure uptake of insulation is encouraged to help reduce bills while keeping homes well-heated.”
Michael Williams, on behalf of NIBE Energy Systems, said: "We are exasperated by the Prime Minister's decision to delay the phase out of fossil fuel boilers in off grid homes and strongly disagree with the notion that the technology needed isn't ready. Heat pumps represent a viable solution that can help us achieve net zero - a target that should be a top priority without hesitation or delay.
"Additionally, while the increase in funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme aligns with our advocacy efforts, it is just one of many necessary steps. For example, ground source heat pumps are a logical solution in off-grid homes using high carbon fossil fuels, yet the scheme covers a lower percentage of their costs compared to other technologies.
"Moreover, policy certainty is crucial not only to industry but installers who need confidence in the direction of the market. The decision to backtrack on targets sends all the wrong signals at a time when we need the green light to pave the way for a net zero future."
Trevor Harvey, CEO of Stelrad, one of the leading players in the European radiator market, has called on the Government to take a more “joined up” approach to addressing net zero and incentivising home owners to take measures to reduce climate emissions from their homes.
“Decarbonisation, improving energy efficiency and supporting consumers and households are all intertwined with one another and I actually think yesterday’s measures announced by the government went a large way to acknowledging that.
“By removing legislative deadlines while simultaneously improving the incentive for home owners to install heat pumps or biomass boilers to £7,500, the government is getting rid of an arbitrary cliff edge alongside helping to make lower carbon systems more financially attractive at a time when families are struggling with the cost of living crisis.
“However, we continue to urge the government to take a more joined up approach to the wider issue - heating UK homes produces around 17% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions so it is imperative that we have a plan that incentivises homeowners to take as many practical measures as possible, including things such as insulating their homes more effectively and installing more modern and efficient radiators.”
