Government must do more to tackle heat pump and electric vehicle barriers, Which? says
Which? is calling on the government to provide more support for greener home heating and cars, as new research shows cost and other barriers are putting people off making the switch.
The Which? annual sustainability tracker found a range of barriers deterring households from buying heat pumps and electric vehicles (EVs) – from cost to low awareness and insufficient information about heat pumps, to concerns about availability and reliability of the UK’s EV charging network.
The Which? survey, now in its third year of tracking consumer attitudes to sustainability, found 71% of homeowners who knew what heat pumps were said they were too expensive for them to install. This figure has remained static, despite the government significantly increasing the grant available through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in 2023.
The median price for installing an air source heat pump is just under £13,000, according to data collected from installers under the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). With a grant, the overall cost can be lowered by £7,500. The average cost of installing a standard combi boiler is £2,597 based on all models on Which?’s website. The cost of installing a heat pump varies based on the heat source and any additional changes that are required to the heating system and insulation.
Which? found ownership and awareness of heat pumps remains relatively low. Just 2% of homeowners own a heat pump and just over half (55%) of homeowners are aware of what they are. Of those, 54% said that they would not consider installing one.
The number of people who own EVs has increased from 3%in June 2022 to 6% in June this year. However, the number of drivers saying they are unwilling to buy one has almost doubled from one in five (20%) in 2022 to two in five (39%) now.
Some people remain open to buying them in the future but are also put off by the cost. Currently, around two-thirds (64%) of non-EV drivers said high prices would stop them from buying one. According to Which?’s pricing data and based on the models the consumer champion has tested, the average new EV is £47,251.19, almost £10,000 more than a non-electric equivalent (£37,611.32) in October 2024. However, prices of new and second hand EVs are falling, with some second hand EVs now reaching price parity with petrol and diesel equivalents.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Consumer Rights and Food Policy, said: “There are encouraging signs in this year’s Which? sustainability tracker, such as a slight increase in ownership of electric vehicles (EVs) and an appetite among younger homeowners to switch to heat pumps.
“However, it’s clear that there is work to be done to address the barriers preventing consumers from switching to the more sustainable alternatives that will help the UK achieve its Net Zero goals. As well as cost, these include low awareness and insufficient information about heat pumps and a lack of availability and reliability of EV charging stations.”
