UK assembles myth-busting ‘nudge unit’ to dispel heat pump misinformation

UK MINISTERS are hoping to increase heat pump adoption with the help of a myth-busting “nudge unit” that will dispel common misconceptions about the technology. 

Independent research firm, the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) have been given £100,000 (US$125,000) by the government to develop a strategy that will help nudge the public into adopting heat pumps, according to a report from The Guardian.

With heating representing 18% of UK greenhouse gases, the government expect heat pumps to be a key technology in decarbonisation.  

Government-supported heat pump installations increased by 46% in the year ending September 2024, with 38,305 heat pumps installed compared to 26,314 in the previous 12 months. 

Despite the uptick, the government have set the ambitious goal to install 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028, increasing to a further 1.6m by 2035. 

Miconceptions

Unpublished research from the Department for Energy found that people who claim they know a lot about heat pumps were less likely to want one. However, those who correctly answered questions about heat pumps were more likely to want one.

Common misconceptions around heat pumps include that they do not work well in cold winters, they are costly to install, and that they can only be installed in new buildings. 

Toby Park, the head of climate, energy and sustainability at BIT, said: “Sometimes scepticism is due to real market challenges, such as affordability, but doesn’t take into account the whole picture, such as the availability of grants. In other cases, it can be due to myths such as the claim that heat pumps don’t work well in cold weather.”

BIT is expected to finalise its strategy on how the government can combat these myths by 21 January.