This report provides an up-to-date, evidence-based summary of consumer attitudes toward low-carbon heating and the key practical and perceived barriers to heat pump uptake. It demonstrates how local authority–led services, including a retrofit One-Stop Shop, can meaningfully accelerate uptake and highlights target customer groups in the short and long term.
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The Peterborough Accelerated Net Zero (PANZ) project aims to create a comprehensive platform that integrates technical, social, demographic, and economic data to develop effective Net Zero plans.
Building on Peterborough’s pioneering Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP), the project will further tailor energy plans to the specific needs of the community. Energy Systems Catapult (the Catapult) is supporting the project by helping to enable the large-scale and rapid delivery of heat pumps across Peterborough, including rural areas.
The Catapult commissioned qualitative and quantitative research with UK residents to:
The research included individual in-depth interviews with 24 Peterborough residents and a nationally representative online survey of 1,976 UK residents.
Although developed with a focus on Peterborough, the research data evidences little difference in attitudes between residents in Peterborough and the rest of the UK. Therefore, the data presented in this report includes the national sample and offers insights that are highly relevant to all local authorities seeking to implement a place-based approach to heat pump adoption.
Barriers range from a lack of information and interest; concerns about heat pump performance; financial barriers; low confidence in finding an installer; to practical concerns, e.g. disruption and aesthetics.
Only 12% of survey participants claim to have a good knowledge of heat pumps and 44% state they don’t know enough to make an informed decision as a result.
Low interest in heating in general, and heat pumps in particular, limits engagement. The lack of basic understanding means consumers struggle to identify the benefits of heat pumps and just 27% want to learn more.
Climate change has little impact on desire to install a heat pump. Motivation is driven by ongoing financial savings to monthly bills, with 65% of consumers interested in learning about new technologies that could reduce energy bills.
The three services that were tested with a national quantitative sample of consumers were all felt to be appealing. However, the One-Stop Shop has a more immediate impact than other services, with stated heat pump uptake within the next two years rising to 27% when it’s available.
The One-Stop Shop is the only service which addresses multiple barriers to heat pump adoption, and it can be integrated with other services, e.g. financial support, to maximise impact.
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Designed to aid Local Authorities in developing robust, evidence-based plans to enable Net Zero.
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