www.nesta.org.uk/feature/a-policy-library-for-decarbonising-home-heating/increasing-public-understanding-and-supporting-consumers-through-the-transition/
Making sure consumers can confidently and easily switch to low-carbon heating
The UK can only switch to low-carbon heating if the public is on board with it. At present, public awareness of low-carbon heating is limited. Many barriers make it harder to upgrade homes, from restrictive planning rules to a lack of trustworthy advice and support.
Nesta’s work has substantially focused on how to help consumers save money, become familiar with heat pumps and experience a smoother journey to green heating.
Delve into our latest work on increasing public understanding and supporting consumers below, or return to the main page to explore our other policy areas.
What do people think of heat pumps, climate change and the heat transition? Our work has tested various aspects of what people think, especially in our flagship survey of heat pump users.
Latest insights from the UK Government's Public Attitudes Tracker survey on climate change and green heating revealed the public’s awareness and understanding of low-carbon choices, especially heat pumps. Our analysis explores whether attitudes towards green heating are evolving or stagnant, highlighting the need for better information and reassurance about these technologies.
The blog shows surprising findings from the UK Government’s recent report on public awareness on climate change. There has been a rise in the belief that the media exaggerates the impact of climate change, with opinions significantly varying by age and gender on climate concern and actions. Additionally, men display less confidence in meeting net zero targets and anticipate more negative economic impacts from the transition. Effective communication strategies must address these diverse perspectives.
Reports:
This report explores findings from a survey of heat pump owners to learn about their experiences compared to using fossil-fuel heating systems. Our survey with Eunomia reveals high satisfaction among heat pump users, although there could be improvements to make heat pumps easier to use and control. Recommendations include providing clear information, simplifying usage, and reducing installation disruption.
This report explores UK consumer attitudes towards upgrading homes for energy efficiency and low-carbon heating, aiming to inform strategies to engage and support consumers in reducing household emissions. Surveying 5,022 adults, they report identified a significant gap between environmental concern and action. Key findings include varying motivations across different consumer groups towards switching to low-carbon heating systems, and the need for more non-financial incentives to drive this change.
Can people save money and carbon by adjusting their gas boilers? Our Money Saving Boiler Challenge campaign showed it’s possible to drive green behaviour change among millions of people.
The report investigates the impact of tailored boiler advice on reducing household emissions. Default high flow temperatures in condensing combi boilers limit efficiency, therefore lowering flow temperatures in colder periods proved effective in reducing gas consumption without affecting thermal comfort or increasing electricity use. Our recommendations suggest energy companies should adopt season-specific advice to optimise efficiency, savings, and comfort with minimal impact to households.
In October 2022, Nesta launched the Money Saving Boiler Challenge to help households save energy by lowering their combi boiler flow temperatures. This led to approximately ~3.1 million households turning down their boilers over the course of the campaign – saving an estimated 500,000 tonnes in CO2, nearly £300 million in savings for households and £157 million for HM Treasury. For more information, visit moneysavingboilerchallenge.com.
What can be done to help more people become familiar with heat pumps? Our Visit a Heat Pump service enables people who want to see a real heat pump to visit one in their local area.
This project details our visit a heat pump service, which enables people to learn about heat pumps in real homes. Our pilot in 2022 helped us refine the service model and understand user needs, so we are now scaling the service across the UK, aiming for 1,000 visits in the next few months. Our goal is to make heat pumps more visible and accessible, fostering confidence in the technology and driving adoption.
This press release shows our analysis revealed that the average UK gas boiler emits more CO2 annually than taking seven transatlantic flights. Despite this, 88% of UK adults significantly underestimate boiler emissions. Heating accounts for 38% of the UK’s gas usage, with an average boiler emitting about 2.2 tonnes of CO2 yearly. We urge consideration of efficient alternatives like heat pumps and developed a carbon calculator for homeowners to assess the environmental impact of their boiler.
How could the planning system make it easier to install heat pumps? Our blog set out proposals for simplifying planning rules.
The blog argues decarbonising home heating is vital for the UK's net-zero targets, but outdated planning laws hinder heat pump installations. Octopus Energy reports 27% of potential installers face planning permission obstacles. The government is consulting on reforms to ease this process, proposing changes like removing size and number restrictions, and focusing on noise limits rather than proximity rules. As a result, we urge everyone to support these reforms to streamline heat pump adoption.
