In 2023, 15% of the UK’s emissions came from domestic buildings,[1] mostly from heating our homes. Just last week the Climate Change Committee’s seventh carbon budget outlined the vital role that heat pumps will play in meeting the UK’s carbon targets, suggesting that by 2040 around half of the homes in the UK will need one.[2]
Supporting people in the transition to low-carbon heating is therefore one of the most important challenges in meeting Net Zero, especially considering the need to ensure affordability, comfort, and environmental sustainability. The Government has set ambitious targets, but is the public support there?
New research by Imperial College London and Energy UK highlights the importance of crafting a stronger public narrative to bridge this gap.[3] There is a clear need to better communicate the benefits of low-carbon heating to households, and we’re really pleased to see the Government’s new #WarmAndFuzzy campaign aimed at exactly doing that. (Keep your eyes peeled for TV ads coming soon).
What did we do?
Led by the Integrated Development of Low-Carbon Energy Systems (IDLES) research programme, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Programme Grants, Imperial College London’s Urban Systems Lab conducted an extensive survey about current heating habits answered by a representative sample of 1,027 households across the country. Questions covered household structure, current energy consumption, and attitudes to switching.
Do people understand why we need to shift heating fuels?
The research initially wanted to test whether people understand the significant emissions from heating homes, whether they find it good value for money, and what would trigger them to consider installing low-carbon heating.
Despite the high contribution from household heating to UK emissions, responses showed that only 18% of boiler owners disagreed with the statement “My heating system is environmentally friendly”, with close to 50% giving neutral responses. In parallel, 77% of the same group agreed that their heating system met their household’s needs.
Figure 1: Statements in relation to the satisfaction of boiler owners – if you have additional accessibility needs and would like to receive any of the charts in a different format, please contact press@energy-uk.org.uk
Figure 2: Statements in relation to the satisfaction of heat pump owners
Although boilers are clearly capable of meeting a household’s needs, the fact that only 43% of boiler owners think that their heating costs are acceptable is concerning. In contrast, Figure 2 shows that heat pump owners are satisfied with their system, both in terms of the heat itself (81%) and in terms of the running costs (68%).
Through their lifecycle, low-carbon heating technologies such as heat pumps bring considerable benefits for both the user and for society, helping to advance energy security, affordability, and the transition towards a Net Zero economy. However, clearer communication is needed on the benefits to an average household. The recent gas crisis showed how exposed the UK is to international fossil fuel markets: the cost of heating our homes skyrocketed. As the proportion of our electricity that comes from home-grown sources (wind, solar, and more) grows, we will become less dependent on imported fossil fuels; moving from boilers to heat pumps is integral to this shift.
The technology behind heat pumps already plays a significant role in our lives, it’s the same technology used in fridges and air conditioning units. Communicating that the technology is well-established and proven is important to demystify low-carbon heating, which may encourage uptake. The dual capacity to cool and heat is an extra benefit as UK demand for cooling services increases.[4] Heat pumps also give households more flexibility, allowing them to use electricity at off-peak times when it is cheaper. This is a crucial element to enable people to engage in flexibility programmes which could bring significant rewards and increased agency over energy bills.[5]
Attitudes to switching to low-carbon heating
A range of questions in the survey focused on respondents’ willingness to switch to alternative heating. Figures 3 and 4 show responses for homeowners and landlords respectively. Previous findings report that households wait for trigger points to renew home heating, and our research confirms this hypothesis. The majority of homeowners (53%) and landlords (54%) would wait until their heating breaks to switch and 40% and 60% respectively would switch when they next renovate. A further important observation concerned property value as a motivation for switching, where 58% of landlords and 36% of homeowners would invest in a heating system that would increase the house price. However, the proportion of respondents who had no strong opinion on switching at the next failure (28% homeowners/31% landlords), renovation (35% homeowners / 29% landlords) and to enhance property value (33% homeowners / 26% landlords) is significant. This emphasises that there is potential to better communicate the benefits of switching to low-carbon heating, and perhaps more detail could help people make up their minds.
Figure 3: Statements in relation to homeowners and/or tenants’ drivers for switching
Figure 4: Statements in relation to landlords’ drivers for switching
Drivers for switching to low-carbon heating
The second part of the research was aimed at understanding what drives people to switch to low-carbon heating. It is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour,[6] a widely tested model which suggests that people’s intention to do something is based on their attitudes towards it, what they think others expect them to do, and how much control they feel they have over doing it.
On attitudes, the findings were that customers with information about the positive effects of having a low-carbon heating system installed were more likely to adopt the technology. It’s clear that understanding that a heat pump would increase a household’s property value, or that they meet people’s heating needs significantly influences the intention to switch.
In contrast to the initial hypothesis, the research found that perceived control over the switch (such as the ability to afford a heat pump and/or having guidance) did not increase the intention to switch. This could be explained by the levels of satisfaction with current heating systems: there is little incentive to install a heat pump if one’s boiler is working.
Policy recommendations
These findings point firmly to the need for campaigns that raise awareness of the positive effects of having a heat pump. If Government and industry can better communicate the reliability, value, and environmental benefits of low-carbon heating, we would expect the pace of adoption to pick up. Successful programmes such as Nesta’s ‘Visit a Heat Pump’ and online communities both help to debunk myths and spread information, and the new campaign from the Government is very welcome. The high rate of neutral responses to questions about the willingness to switch at the next heating failure suggest many households are ready to be convinced. It underscores the importance of simplifying the customer journey, making the switch to alternatives as straightforward and attractive as possible. It is also vital that we make sure that customers have access to advice and that redress is straightforward, were anything to go wrong with the switch.
Alongside a drive for better information, the Government should build on its recent consultation to reform the Energy Performance Certification (EPC) system, and work with industry and consumer groups to ensure that EPCs engage people, and they are well informed about what they mean. Government and industry also need to work together to encourage consumers to make use of the information provided by EPCs. Alongside this, the consultation on minimum energy efficiency standards is most welcome. This could provide landlords with information as to which investments to prioritise, driving greater alignment between energy efficiency and property value, and thus responding to the drivers identified above. These reforms are necessary to enhance efficiency for UK homes, ultimately saving money and improving health outcomes for UK citizens who live in Western Europe’s most draughty housing stock.[7] The more energy efficient a home is, the more it will save from having a heat pump.
At the heart of this transition is people. There are other areas which the research didn’t cover but need addressing, such as shifting the funding of environmental levies from electricity bills to a mixture of gas bills and general taxation. This would make the running costs of a heat pump even more attractive. The typical upfront costs also need to be addressed to make the transition realistic for middle- and lower-income households.
In conclusion, this research found that heat pump owners were more satisfied than boiler owners on every measured metric. It also uncovered an information gap regarding heating systems in general: boiler owners were not necessarily aware of the associated emissions, nor of the various positive impacts of switching to low-carbon heating. Thirdly, satisfaction with the status quo is a big barrier to switching, but one that can be addressed through a variety of policies, particularly information.
[1] DESNZ (2024), UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions national statistics
[2] Climate Change Committee (2024) Seventh Carbon Budget
[3] Masters’ research (EPSRC Grant No. EP/R045518/1)). Research paper available upon request by contacting arthur.bessis23@imperial.ac.uk or a.sivakumar@imperial.ac.uk.
[4] Imperial College London (2023): London has the fastest increase in cooling demand in the world, shows new model
[5] Read more on demand-side flexibility here.
[6] Icek Ajzen (1991), The Theory of Planned Behavior
[7] The New Statesman (2022), The UK has the least insulated homes in Western Europe
