Experts from a “nudge unit” have been hired to help ministers fight misinformation about heat pumps to try to encourage take-up of the devices.
The appliances run on electricity instead of gas and are regarded as a way of decarbonising homes at scale. A target of installing 600,000 a year by 2028 is part of a drive to achieve Britain’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050.
However, misinformation shared in the media and by “other stakeholders” is impeding uptake, according to a £100,000 government contract awarded to the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), which specialises in ideas to “nudge” the public into taking different actions.
The contract awarded to BIT contains details of a previously unpublished research by the Department for Energy.
It found that individuals who self-reported that they knew a fair amount or a lot about heat pumps were less likely to want one. However, people who correctly answered a simple knowledge question about heat pumps were more likely to want one.
BIT is finalising a large survey of householders’ views and coverage in the media that will be used in planning how the government will push back against misinformation.
“Information about heat pumps is being shared by the media and stakeholders, which may be skewed to negative, incorrect or exaggerated stories of heat pump adoption,” says the contract, which cites examples including claims that the pumps are noisy, cost too much to install and are not reliable and don’t work in older homes.
Articles about heat pumps in the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph were cited in the document, which states that some of these stories “are generally well-founded, such as believing that heat pumps are expensive” but adds that some include incorrect misconceptions, such as believing they might not work well in the cold.
“Online information which is imbalanced or skewed towards incorrect and exaggerated claims could be considered an environment where misinformation is a problem,” it reads.
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I know everything I need to know about heat pumps.
I live in a flat. I am literally not allowed to install anything outside for a proper split.
There is no location in my small property where noise would not disturb sleep or the general enjoyment of being here. So even with permission an air source pump is not viable.
I'd need permission to install a ground source unit outside which wouldn't be impossible.
But then it's likely to be got the whole building as that would be the most efficient.
I'm not sharing an energy bill for heating with my neighbours. My consumption is low.
There are millions like me in this country.
What I would install is an electric boiler. Essentially inductive or resistive heat.
Which is half as efficient as a heat pump. But I'd have control of my bill and with the consumption for a single person flat the long term expense of installing and maintaining a heat pump eat into any efficiency savings they have.
The only thing stopping me is gas is cheaper per kW because we're burning gas to make electricity at a ~45% efficiency compared to a 90% efficiency of piping it here to be turned directly into heat.
Cut fossil fuels out of the electricity supply. Then I'll install an electric boiler. Until then I'll burn gas more efficiently here.
Heat pumps work for those with outside space. Those who have luxuries.
Electric cars work for those with driveways. More outside space. More luxury.
I could buy into that luxury soon enough. I will upgrade my property at some point. But it's not going to solve any climate change issues unless they solve the issue for everyone, not just the middle class and upwards.
The government need to stop burning gas for electricity. When they do I'll probably be paying more for energy, but the poorest can use the same infrastructure and be subsidised.
Renewables, grid storage, reasonably priced charging with on street chargers near everyone's homes. We'll all be able to go carbon free.
Heat pumps are part of the solution, but really they're the smallest part. They only offer an efficiency saving over resistive heating. The cost is noise pollution, maintenance cost, space, and complexity.
I don't take the government's climate targets seriously when heat pumps are their main policy.
Pretty much, heat pumps will help but they're a laughably small thing to be focusing on so much.
Unfortunately nothing will meaningfully improve until the rich fear for their lives