The majority of the general population are not aware of low-carbon heating technologies even though they believe it is important to cut emissions from this source, according a new government public attitude survey.
The study, published by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) today (1 September), confirms the findings of previous surveys showing strong public support for carbon-reduction policies.
It says nine in ten people regarded reduction targets for emissions overall, and heating specifically, to be important.
However, the report identifies “some disconnect” with knowledge of heating’s role in decarbonisation, which it found is relatively low.
Just under a quarter (24 per cent) of respondents said they knew a lot or a little about the government’s ambition to reduce emissions from buildings.
But 37 per cent said they were not aware of the heat decarbonisation push, which the report says shows “quite low levels of knowledge and awareness overall”.
“The public do not know that heating in buildings is one of the very largest contributors to carbon emissions in the UK.”
Only a minority reported having heard of specific low-carbon heating technologies. Three quarters of respondents had never heard of air source heat pumps. Nearly two thirds (61 per cent) confessed ignorance about ground source heat pumps.
The even lower level of awareness of hydrogen boilers (88 per cent unaware) was explained by these products not being on the market yet, said the report, which was carried out by NatCen Social Research for BEIS.
However, half of households off the gas grid, which are due to be converted to low carbon heating sooner than those on the network, reported that they knew a little or a lot about heat pumps. This was twice the level of those on the gas grid (23 per cent).
Those living off the gas grid expected an environmentally-friendly heating system would meet their heating needs and be affordable to run and maintain.
They were divided on whether the up-front costs would be affordable, which the report says could be a “key perceived current barrier” for this group.
The survey also found support for heat decarbonisation policies is not linked with knowledge of heating’s role in releasing carbon emissions, or of low-carbon heating technologies.
Those surveyed said the transition to low-carbon heating would be more acceptable if it involved low-level disruption, was planned nationally rather than locally and offered household control over timing.