Overcoming barriers to heat pump adoption among able-to-pay households

One of the major challenges in getting to a NetZero society by the year 2050 is the decarbonization of domestic heat. One avenue of decarbonization of domestic heat is the householders’ transition from gas boilers to heat pumps. However, at present, it seems the process of heat pump adoption has stalled in the UK and other Western economies. This study aims to identify the drivers and obstacles that the able-to-pay residents in one specific locality face as part of their road to transitioning towards heat pumps. For this, data was collected through a questionnaire and a focus groups study with the able-to-pay community. Findings from this study show that these residents experience significant barriers in accessing relevant technical and “common sense” information about the transition to heat pumps, its financing, maturity of the technology, and more. These challenges could be addressed through a set of outlined policy changes and recommendations (e.g., regarding the creation of value, provision of information and increasing trust in retrofitting practices for able-to-pay residents). • Uncertainty and limited knowledge about how heat pump technology works. • Concerns include unclear costs, efficiency benefits, and required home upgrades. • Doubts exist due to lack of objective metrics for heat pump performance success. • Extra costs include home retrofit surveys, insulation, and pipe or tank replacements. • Costs also included radiators, planning permission, and the heat pump installation itself. • Most able-to-pay residents grow more willing to invest as they learn about heat pumps. • Interest increases further when government grants help offset installation project costs.