Report

Despite throwing money at the problem, people still aren’t buying heat pumps

Think tank: Social Market Foundation

Author(s): Niamh O Regan

March 8, 2024

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at how to induce households to change their behaviour and replace their boilers with heat pumps.

The UK’s commitment to reaching net zero by 2050 is legally binding, yet progress towards decarbonisation of home heating remains limited.

This SMF commentary reviews a timely recent report from the International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) at UCL, on how to induce households to change their behaviour and replace their boilers with heat pumps. The International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) report, Decarbonising Home Energy Through Behaviour Change, reviews the international evidence on green purchase decisions and argues for a more comprehensive effort to encourage households to switch to heat pumps.

The report is underpinned by the COM-B theory of behaviour, which says behaviour change relies on three components: capability, or the feeling that change is possible; social and physical opportunities to change behaviour; and motivation, or the desire or need to change behaviour.

The report therefore calls for multiple policies to be implemented to address all three components, including establishing and promoting incentive structures for green purchases; setting up Home Upgrade Agencies to coordinate consistent messaging and offer bespoke advice and pathways to households; running a competition promoting innovative ways to minimise the disruption when installing heat pumps; and capitalising on the additional time available before the phase-out of fossil fuels in home heating in the UK by further prioritising insulation and an attendant programme of activity across society.